AN: This is a warning. This chapter contains stronger language than usual. It also deals with extreme violence. I've changed the rating of the story to reflect the nature of this chapter and future chapters. Things got darker far quicker than I originally planned.

ALL ABOUT US

Wyatt and Sarah were lying in bed later that night; neither parent could sleep. It had been a very draining day but also thought provoking. Unbinding their son's powers should have been the main thing they were worried about. With the way world events were turning having magical powers put Zach in a great deal of danger. At the same time not having powers put him and those closest to him, his friends, in a different type of danger. They had chosen Halloween because nothing was supposed to go wrong. He would be under their constant supervision at least for the day. Wyatt should have remembered that even the best-laid plans go to hell.

Unlocking his witch powers meant giving back his whitelighter duties. When Wyatt was a boy he had years to train under the tutelage of his father before the Elders assigned him his first charge. Currently whatever Elder's still existed were too busy saving their own lives to be concerned with assigning charges to whitelighters. Wyatt had never considered the possibility of his son being given a charge, let alone on the same day he got his powers back.

Wyatt stared up at the ceiling as he recalled the discussion between Kenny and Zach after the party had ended. His son was not focused on the gravity of the situation. He had other things on his mind. Kenny still could not believe he was in the presence of magical celebrity. Neither boy took the situation seriously, but Wyatt knew. He had experienced the loss of charges, not the least of whom included his brother. He understood how it changed a man.

"They're too young," said Sarah out of the blue.

Wyatt rolled on to his side to face her, and she mimicked his actions.

"I was Zach's age the first time I told a girl I loved her."

Sarah scoffed. "Puppy love."

"It felt real at the time," said Wyatt softly.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you weren't just trying to get into her pants?"

Wyatt rocked his head back and forth. "That might have had something to do with it."

Sarah chuckled but it lacked her usual warmth. "Are you ready for him to be having sex?"

Wyatt cringed. "Sar…"

"No, Wyatt, we have to talk about it. You saw it in his eyes after she said it. He is my little baby; he always will be. But that doesn't mean he's not a teenager. It doesn't mean he's not going to make stupid mistakes."

Wyatt pulled his wife closer to him, and she tucked her head into the nook of his neck. "What if it's not just puppy love? I know all the things I tell my patients when they come to see me, heartbroken and lost. They've got their whole lives ahead of them. There isn't just one person out there for you. I've said it all, and most of the time it helps. Maybe for the most part it is even true, but you knew my brother and Lucien. Their story was fucked up by magic and war, but it was true love. And Anakin was a hell of a lot younger than Zach when he found out about Lucien."

Sarah huffed. "Anakin and Lucien are a once in a life time abnormality. I remember the first boy I told. We dated for six months, and he crushed my heart."

"It's part of growing up, honey, we can't protect him from that."

"He's going to have enough heartache and loss as it is. We don't need him inviting anymore into his life," said Sarah sternly. "She will break his heart. I can tell. She's wrapped up in the fairytale their lives are at the moment. That isn't what love is. That's like and lust. Love is sticking with your man through thick and thin. Love is knowing all the pain the other person is going to bring you and staying with them regardless. Dating and breaking up is a part of growing up. Falling in love isn't."

Wyatt closed his eyes and hugged his wife. "There's not a hell of a lot we can do about it. She says she love him, and he says he loves her. He's happy, truly happy despite all the rest of it. She makes him happy in a way I haven't seen since Pax was alive."

Sarah's breath caught at the mention of their daughter's name. "He was happy before her."

"Sure, he laughed and joked around like everyone else. But you can't deny there was always a darkness there. He'd become melancholy and withdrawn when he thought no one was watching. Never enough to be concerned about, but it was there. I haven't seen that side of him since he and Rebecca got together."

Sarah sighed. "Am I being a bitch?"

Wyatt laughed. "No, just a concerned mother. No one is ever going to be good enough for Zach not in our eyes. If we give her a chance I think Rebecca might come awfully close. You saw the way she acted while Zach was recuperating. If she was with Zach simply as a status symbol or something I'm sure there were much easier boyfriends out there for her."

"You think she's hot," teased Sarah.

Wyatt kissed the top of Sarah's head. "No one can hold a candle to you, love."

Sarah breathed easier. "And Kenny?"

"I don't know. He's an elemental, an extremely powerful one."

"Like Lucien?" asked Sarah.

Wyatt shook his head. "No, I don't think so, but I don't think anyone could compare to him. I've never heard of an elemental controlling all five elements except Lucien, and neither had my dad. He was the leading expert on such matters."

Sarah started drawing random patterns on Wyatt's bare chest. He rolled over so that he was lying on his back. "What elements can Kenny control?"

Wyatt pictured the teen's aura. "He's most proficient in fire and earth; those colors burned brightest. Water is a close second."

"And the black?"

Wyatt stilled Sarah's wandering fingers with his own. "I've only seen a black aura once before."

"When?" asked Sarah with dread.

"Jonathan," whispered Wyatt into the deafening silence.

Sarah's hand spasmed in his. "He's a demon?"

Wyatt did not know how to answer. "Jonathan was half-vampire."

"He may have been a nice enough guy towards the end, but I remember the terror he caused. Half my mom's family was slaughtered during his reign of the Underworld. If Kenny…" Sarah trailed off.

"I didn't sense any deception or dark motives from him," said Wyatt.

"Could he not know? Serena mentioned he was adopted."

Wyatt exhaled heavily. "I don't know."

"He's Zach's charge. How could he be a demon and be a whitelighter's charge? Does magic really have that sick of an imagination?"

Wyatt snorted hollowly. "I wouldn't put anything passed it."

"I don't think Rebecca like me."

Wyatt shrugged, thrown at the sudden change in topic. "Do you want her to like you?"

Sarah slapped him. "What type of question is that Wyatt Matthew! She's my son's girlfriend. I may not like it, but I want her to like me. God forbid she falls pregnant. I want to see my grandchildren."

Wyatt kept silent. He knew from years of marriage and practicing as a family counselor there were times when it was best to not say anything. Sometimes it was best to just be the listening ear as the other person figured things out for him or herself.

Sarah started dibbling again. "I should invite her to lunch or something. Get to know her."

"Sounds good, honey."

Sarah proper herself up on her one arm. "Do you know what else sounds good?" she asked huskily.

Wyatt smirked. "I've got some idea."

She leaned down and kissed him deeply as he wrapped his arms around her. They rolled over until she was underneath him. He supported his weight with his arms and he stared down at his beautiful wife.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Down the corridor from his parents behind closed doors Zach Halliwell lay in his bed with his hands tucked behind his head staring up at the formless patch of roof above his bed. On two air beds beside his bed lay Matt and Kenny; both of the younger boys had fallen asleep ages ago. Zach's mind, however, was in overdrive and sleep was a forgotten thought. He always liked this time of the day when the Manor was quiet or as quiet as an ancient house could be. It reminded him simpler times when he was small, and Pax was still alive.

His baby sister was terrified of the dark. Even night-lights did little to dispel her fears, so their parents relented in letting her sleep with the lights on most nights. There were nights when lights could not comfort his sister, and she would sneak out of her room and into his. She would crawl into his bed, and he would wrap his arms around her. She would be out like a light with in seconds, snoring away. At some point in the night he would wake up to either his mother or father coming into his room and moving her back into her bed. He missed being able to comfort his sister; he missed her. When the Manor was silent and everyone was in bed sometimes he could swear that he felt her presence watching him.

Zach let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. There were darker memories of late night hours as well. These memories were not as formed in his mind, and he mainly remembered the emotions: terror, sadness, anger—a deep unsolved anger. The emotions were followed by a sensation he now knew was magic. Sometime in his past his family must have been attacked, and he had released some terrible form of magic against whatever demon had attacked him. Those memories kept him up as often as the happier ones.

Tonight though his mind was racing because of recent events. The easier of the two events to think about entailed magic once again. He still could not believe he had been made a full-fledged whitelighter mere moments after receiving his powers back. He also could not understand why his connection to Kenny was as strong as it was. His father had tested it after everyone else had left. Besides for connection he had felt between Piper and Leo, Wyatt had said he had never sensed a bond as powerful, and the one between his grandparents had developed over decades.

There was nothing wrong with Kenny who revealed he was an elemental. Zach actually quite liked his new friend. The kid was quiet and chose his words very carefully when he spoke, but he also had a very sharp tongue. He could if he chose cut down any opponent in a verbal battle. He brought a new perspective to things and was not afraid to speak his mind among people he trusted. If he had to have a charge Zach supposed he could have been given a lot worse.

The problem was a whitelighter's job was to guide and advise his or her charges. Zach did not have a clue how he would be able to fulfill that role for Kenny or anyone else in his life. He knew his three cousins also looked up to him to guide them through this new period of their lives. Sure he had power for a while back when he was young, but for most of the time he was a baby and had no recollection of having powers just vague impressions. If anyone should be the whitelighter and leader of their group it should be Matt. Despite never having powers Matthew took after his dad and absorbed information like a sponge. He could already cast spells from memory.

Zach opened his eyes again; sleep was allusive tonight. Zach rolled on to his side. A mosquito buzzed around the room adding to the things keeping him up. Matt let out a soft snore and rolled over; his mouth hung open. Zach could not help but grin. Matthew had been ecstatic when he had found out Kenny was also a witch. Kenny also warmed up to the idea of having magical friends quickly. Zach could tell though his charge was not completely comfortable being around so much magic. Kenny explained that he only had bad experiences with other magical users.

Pax who usually slept on the bottom corner of his bed walked up behind him and settled comfortably against the back of his neck. He could feel her breathing slow as she fell back asleep. His pet had quite an exciting night. The little Shih Tzu it seemed loved magic and had spent a good hour chasing around various objects or flashes of magic as the teens practiced.

Kenny was very capable conjuring fire, and these weird rocks that bounced wildly if hit by any sort of magic. Matt besides reciting spells verbatim quickly got the handle of moving smaller object telekinetically. He had even orbed out of the way of a stray fire ball once. Michael also orbed, but he lost his balance every time he orbed back in. Much to everyone's surprise Richard froze a pillow Chris had thrown at him in hopes of forcing the teen to orb. By the end of their practice session Richard was almost able to freeze anything somebody threw at him. He was particularly effective if the object was about to hit someone else.

Zach had focused on controlling his whitelighter sensing ability. The drilling sensation had dulled considerably, but he still had a high-pitched ringing in his ears. It died down whenever Kenny was focusing on a task or joking around with Matt, but as soon as he was left alone the ringing came back. Zach was thankful it also went away when the teen was asleep. His dad told him not to worry; it took time but he would get control of his powers.

The most surprising this Zach discovered during the whole process of trying to mediate and find an inner peace so that he could more readily distinguish his feelings from his charge's was he could feel the scar on his chest with is magic. More precisely he could not feel anything where the scar existed; the scar was a void, something his magic could not touch. Whatever that wraith had dosed him with it was still affecting him.

Despite all the worries and concerns that having magical powers brought into his life, the thing truly plaguing his thoughts was what had happened with his girlfriend. He yawned and wriggled further under the covers careful to not disturb the sleeping dog. He closed his eyes and let the memories play out in his mind's eye.

The moment Rebecca said, "I love you" Zach heard the whole room gasp. His mind went completely blank and all the air left his lungs. His heart crawled out of his chest and pounded away in his throat. His stomach felt like hyperactive butterflies had overrun it. No one besides for his family had ever told him they loved him. He knew he had to say something, but his body had ceased responding to his brain's commands.

He watched in horror as the smile slipped off Rebecca's beautiful face. The color soon followed, and his girlfriend began to shake. She shook her head and covered her mouth. Eyes wide she turned around and tried to run out the room.

Her movements, however, spurred him into action. He reached out and caught her by the wrist. He gave her arm a gentle tug, and she fell into his lap. The rest of the world no longer existed for him. The fact that his parents and grandmother was in the room never crossed his mind. He lifted his hand to her face and turned it to face him. Without hesitation he craned his neck and kissed her more passionately than ever before. When they broke apart he looked her directly in the eyes.

"I love you too."

The words left his lips before he decided to say them. In the moment with just her eyes, breath, and the faint fragrance of her perfume there was nothing else he could have said. He knew he could not lose her not yet. If she had managed to evade his grasp and left he would have been crushed. Saying those four words was the only way to keep her in his arms. The only way he could breathe because he knew if he had not said them he would have hurt her. He could not bear the thought of ever being the reason she was in pain. So he said them.

Now lying in bed the reality of what those words meant hit him. He said them all the time to his mom and dad. He told his grandmother he loved her at least twice a day. It was uncool to verbally tell Matt or Andrew that he loved them, but they both knew he did. He even said it to Sophia on rare occasions. Telling Rebecca he loved her felt different. The words took on a more substantial importance.

The idea that he could love someone else in that way scared him. He was not legally allowed to drive a car, but he could commit himself to someone else. He had committed himself. He did love someone in that way. It was foolishness, but he could imagine himself on his deathbed many years from now surrounded by family and friends and Rebecca would be the one holding his wrinkled hand. Intellectually he knew the chances of Rebecca and him remaining together were slim, but the idea of not being with her made his heart ache. He smiled remembering the joy in Rebecca's eyes when he said those four simple words.

"I love you too."

Andrew sat in the passenger's seat of Daniel's car. They had pulled into the driveway of his house, and Daniel switched off the engine. His boyfriend was obviously waiting for him to do something. It was Wednesday and one of the few nights both of them were not busy with other activities. They decided to make the most of the rare occurrence and go on an actual date. It had been an amazing date if Andrew was honest with himself until he mentioned his parents. It had been a slip up, a mistake. His parents were a touchy subject with Daniel who could not understand where he was coming from. Daniel grew up surrounded by friends and family who accepted his fathers and him just as they were. Andrew was not that lucky.

The argument grew heated enough that the manager of the restaurant asked them politely to leave. Andrew dragged Daniel out of the venue before his boyfriend got himself into real trouble. One outside Daniel's focus and anger settled back on the age-old disagreement. He was sick and tired of hiding; he wanted to have their families meet. He wanted to show Andrew's parents just how much he loved their son; that being gay was not a bad thing.

Andrew knew his parents better than that. It would not matter to them that he was the happiest he could ever remember being in his life. Not when that happiness stemmed from something as foul as homosexuality. There would be no changing their minds. Homosexuality was a sin far more contemptuous than any other a man could commit. It violated the very core of their understanding of what it meant to be human, decedents of Adam and Eve.

Andrew sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He had known he was gay from a very young age. It was a secret he simply lived with everyday. For him pretending to be straight came naturally. Denying such a fundamental part of himself was almost easy after so many years. The idea of throwing that aside frightened him. Not everyone was as understanding as Zach and the Halliwells. Daniel did not know what he was asking of him.

"They're your parents, Drew. They'll want you to be happy," whispered Daniel still gripping the steering wheel.

Andrew scoffed. "My dad caught Zach and me once. We were playing spin the bottle with a bunch of girls in my room. I spun the bottle and it landed on him. We'd made the girls kiss, so we could not pass. A part of me didn't want to pass. Zach leaned in, I closed my eyes, and the door burst open."

He could hear Daniel's breath, but he did not look over. This was something even Zach did not know about.

"He kicked everyone out. Made them wait on the curb for their parents. He kept me locked in my room until everyone was picked up. Then he sent my mom and grandmother out to I don't know, but I watched them drive away. Then he came. He pulled off his belt and shaking with anger ordered me to pull off my pants. I refused. He hit me across the back with his belt."

"Your scar," murmured Daniel.

Andrew nodded still with his eyes closed. He could feel his throat closing up; he cleared it. He forced his voice to stay steady. This was not something he wanted to cry over.

"He hit me with the metal buckle. Still I didn't give in. It was just a joke I tried to tell him. He screamed and yelled Bible verses at me. Then he wrestled me to the ground and pulled down my pants. He hit me with that belt until his arm tired. Until I could no longer feel whether he was hitting me or not because it was just too painful. He left me crying on my bedroom floor."

"Oh, Drew…"

Andrew shook his head. "My mother found me like that. She—she pulled me to my feet and told me I deserved it. She held me tight, stared at me and kept repeating that I deserved it. She said it over and over again, not a hint of compassion in her voice. I didn't get to sleep that night, and they kept me home from school for a week. So you see, they'll never accept I'm a faggot."

"Don't call yourself that," said Daniel, tears in his eyes.

Andrew opened his eyes and looked at his boyfriend. "But it's what I am. You want me to be honest with them. Then I'm going to be honest with you. I AM A FAGGOT!"

Daniel choked in shock.

Andrew licked his cracked lips. "You are such an amazing person, Danny. I love you more than you'll ever guess, but don't ask me to do this. I—I—I c—can't—go—th—through that again."

Daniel reached over and squeezed his knee. "Babe…"

"No, Danny! No. That night—that week is in the past. Whatever. I survived it. I don't need pity. What I want is for you to understand. To finally get it. My family isn't your family. My dad isn't your dads. My mom—my mom loves the son she thinks she has. She hated that boy. I won't be that boy—not in front of them."

Andrew gripped Daniel's hand tightly and smiled. "With the Halliwells and your family and when we're alone of course. I couldn't imagine my life without you. But they have to die thinking I'm—I'm…"

"Something you're not," finished Daniel.

Tears dribbled down his cheeks. Andrew agreed silently. "I'm their son. That's got to be enough for me to be. This person—this man sitting with you isn't the boy who walks through those doors."

Daniel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "That boy is this man. You can deny it all you want, but you can't just turn off a part of you. Maybe you can hide it well enough for them to miss it. The man I love is the man who walks through those doors."

Andrew sniffed. "Danny…"

"No, whether you tell them or not it doesn't change that fact. You are who you are. Be proud of it."

Andrew stared down at his hands in his lap. Daniel's hand still rested on his knee. He did not know how to be proud of whom he was. Not while he lived every day with this sense of guilt gnawing at his gut. The problem was he no longer knew why he felt guilty, being gay or being a hypocrite. All he knew was his fear of his dad was still greater than his fear of losing Daniel, and it killed him to admit it.

"Telling your parents is your decision. I'm sorry for pressuring you."

Andrew lifted his gaze to meet Daniel's. "You didn't know."

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not saying that because of your story. Your dad's an asshole, and your mom's a bitch. At the end of the day they can't dictate your life either. You have to choose your path. No one else, you."

"Easier said than done," joked Andrew.

Daniel cupped his hand behind Andrew's head and pulled the younger teen toward him. He bent in and kissed his boyfriend softly on the lips. The light next to the front door of the house lit up.

"Shit," exclaimed Andrew.

Daniel steeled himself as Andrew's father charged toward the car. He glanced at Andrew who looked like a small child, and his hatred for the rotund man increased. Not thinking he pulled away from Andrew and opened his door after locking all the other car doors. The balding man pounded his fists against the window screaming something in a language Daniel did not understand. He stepped out of the car and closed the door.

"Mr. Christensen!" he yelled.

Mr. Christensen was built like a former footballer player. At one time he had been very muscular, but age and a diet of beer and chips turned those muscles into fat. Nevertheless Daniel guessed the man was still physically strong even if he tired more easily. Dressed in a white sleeveless undershirt that did not cover his entire stomach and grey sweat pants the men stopped hammering on the car's window.

"Wie do fuk is jy?"

Daniel frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but the man turned away from him. He bent down and screamed at his shaking son. Spittle sprayed across the glass.

"Kry jou gat in die huis, hondenaaier!"

Daniel clenched his hands into fists. "Excuse me, but if you don't leave him the hell alone I'm going to…"

Mr. Christensen rounded back on him, red faced. "That is my son, domkop."

Daniel gritted his teeth. "I know who he is, sir, but you're clearly too upset to talk to him at the moment."

"Too upset? Too upset! I caught you making out with my son! Damn right I'm upset." Mr. Christensen shouted in his thick accent.

Andrew's father stepped around the car, closing in on Daniel. Daniel stood his ground. Before they got close enough for fist to connect a car door opened. Daniel's shoulder sagged a little.

"Drew, no…"

Mr. Christensen spun around and grabbed his son before the boy was even fully out of the car. Daniel was surprised by how fast the man could move. Surprise was replaced by horror as the man threw Andrew across the bricked driveway. Andrew's head collided with the metal garage door, leaving a dent. Daniel charged the large man, but Mr. Christensen had been a boxer in college. He caught Daniel's jaw with a powerful upper cut. Daniel was lifted off his the ground by the punch and his teeth bit through his tongue. He crumpled to the ground. Mr. Christensen ignored the strange teenaged boy and picked up his son by the scruff of his neck.

"Clearly you need a reminder," he growled threateningly.

He slammed his son against the garage door and let him drop to the ground. His son landed on all fours, coughing. He pulled back his foot and kicked it into the skinny teen's stomach. All the air left his son's chest, and the boy gasped to get some of it back. He kicked him four more times in the stomach and twice in the ribs. He heard the bones snap. He bent down to pick up the pathetic mass he had to call a son when something hit him across the back of the head.

He turned around to see the teen raising a tree branch to hit him again. Mr. Christensen caught the teen by the upraised wrist and twisted. The teen cried out after a pop echoed out into the twilight. The tree branch fell out of the teen's hand. He pulled back his own fist to break the whelp's nose, but someone called his name.

Andrew spat out blood and was covered in tears, blood, and snot. He felt like he had been run over by a train, but he had to stand up. He had to keep his father's attention. "DAD! Please—please—please…"

Mr. Christensen sneered at his son even if he was impressed that he could stand up. "Please? This thing means something to you?"

Andrew blinked through the tears. He looked at Daniel. "Let him go. It—I won't see him ever again. Just let him go. Please."

Mr. Christensen tossed Daniel aside. "Inside. Now," he seethed.

Andrew bowed his head, holding one arm protectively over his ribs. "Yes, sir."

Daniel pulled himself to his feet. "Andrew."

"Danny. Just go. I'll—it'll be ok."

"The hell it will."

Mr. Christensen narrowed his eyes. "My son told you to get, faggot."

Daniel shook his head. "I won't. You nearly killed him. I'm calling the police."

The little color in Andrew's face vanished. He tried to stop his dad, but even at his prime he was no match for his much larger father. Mr. Christensen tackled Daniel to the ground and started pummeling his face. Andrew, ignoring all his pain jumped on his father's back and tried to pull him off Daniel. His dad threw back his head, and Andrew felt his nose give way. Warm and sticky blood flowed down, choking him. His dad managed to pulled him off his back. Andrew fell next to Daniel and saw the mangled face of his boyfriend. The teen was no longer putting up a fight. Whether dead or just unconscious, Andrew did not know. His dad picked up the tree branch Daniel had used on him. Andrew did not even see the branch swing down; he felt it connect with the side of his face. Darkness crept into his vision, and he knew no more except for some sort of flashing blue lights.

Andrew woke up to the sound of whispered voices. He tried to open his eyes, but it hurt too much. So he lay in the bed and tried to make out where he was. The last thing he could remember was flashing blue lights. Maybe Daniel had managed to dial for help before his dad reached him. The faint beeping told him he was in a hospital and not at home. He prayed Daniel was somewhere safe.

"But look at him, Dad. How can you stand it?" asked someone near him. The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Because, Zach, it is what it is."

Andrew could hear his best friend's frown. "So what's the point of even having p—it?"

A new voice joined in. "This is the room of Andrew Christensen?"

Wyatt answered. "Yes, officer."

"Is he awake?"

Again Wyatt answered. "I do not believe so. His doctor was in a few minutes ago and said he may be out for the whole night."

"Well, I need a statement," said the officer.

"He has had a hell of a night, sir. Any statement can wait until morning."

Andrew could hear the anger in Wyatt's voice although he suspected the officer could not. Someone took hold of his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed it back. He could not see but from the sudden lack of sounds he surmised someone had closed the door.

"My dad is dealing with the police. You need to rest, but I'm glad you're awake."

He tried to speak and found it difficult. "How?"

Zach still squeezing his hand told him the story. After he had passed out police had arrived at his house. His father was arrested and both he and Daniel were taken to the hospital. At least Daniel was alive. The hospital had tried calling his mother, but she was busy dealing with the arrest of his father. Luckily the nurse on duty was a family friend of the Halliwells and so she called them. Zach's uncle Chris managed to convince the hospital staff to let Wyatt act as temporary guardian until his mother or grandmother could be reached.

"Thanks," he slurred through swollen lips.

Zach bent in close. "We're going to nail the son of a bitch."

Sleep or perhaps the pain medications pulled him back into unconsciousness.

Zach sat at his and his friend's usual lunch table on Friday, feeling dejected. The week had started on a high note with Rebecca and he declaring their feelings for the other, but it had gone downhill very quickly. Richard and Michael had been attacked by a swarm of drone demons on Monday night. Luckily their mother was there, and they came out victorious. Then on Tuesday news of a massive demonic uprising in Texas and a few other of the southern states put everyone on high alert. Everyone now feared magic, and the country was at civil war. Wednesday morning brought more bad news; his uncle Kyle was missing.

Wednesday evening came right out of a hellish nightmare. Despite the story he told his best friend, the police had not arrived at his house, at least not until Zach had called them after he knocked Andrew's father out cold. Only the prompt arrival of his father had stopped him from doing a whole lot more to the sick bastard. He had spent the rest of Wednesday and all of Thursday seated right next to Andrew who drifted in and out of consciousness.

Friday entailed a mandatory meeting for the golf team before school otherwise he would have skipped school. He had wanted to skip, but his parents thought it was best if he attended school. They were going to spend the day getting emergency certification as foster parents. There was no way they were allowing Andrew to return to his parent's household. Unfortunately things did not look so good on that front. Andrew's mother had provided testimony claiming her husband had only been defending himself, and it had been Daniel who had attacked Andrew. The police were inclined to believe her since she was the daughter of the police commissioner.

Zach took a deep breath in and cringed. Whenever he felt intense emotions the scar on his chest burned and leaked something that sent waves of shocking pain through his body. It had been getting worse all week. Chris was working on a solution, but even his genius uncle appeared to be stumped by this particular poison.

The strain of the week had worked its way through his friends as well. Sophia figured something was going on with them and had tried weaseling it out of Matt during their date night. The usually levelheaded Matt had exploded at Sophia. After an hour long verbal sparring match Sophia had walked out. She texted his cousin the next day. Matt had locked himself in his room. Sophia had been standoffish during history and even sat at a different table during drama. Zach suspected the truth; she had broken up with Matt.

Kenny joined him about midway through lunch. Rebecca could not join them as she was running lines for the school play with Zach replacement, Corey Smithson. He had simply missed too many days of school.

"So you'll never guess what I just heard," said Kenny with his usual jovial flare.

Zach waited expectantly for him to continue.

Kenny rubbed his hands together. "I overheard Cindy telling Sidney that Angela's out from school today because her mother's in town."

Zach frowned. He hand known Angela since the beginning of sixth grade. He knew she lived with her father in an apartment just south of downtown. He had gone over to her home once during the time they dated. There were no pictures of her mother in the apartment. She never spoke about the woman who gave birth to her.

"Seriously?"

Kenny nodded opening up his carton of chocolate milk. "Sidney sounded very confused. She seemed to think the woman was dead."

Zach shrugged. "Angela never spoke about her."

"Do you ever wonder what she'd be like if her mother had been part of her life? Would she be any less of a bitch?"

Zach chuckled. "She wasn't always this bad."

Kenny ducked his head. "Sorry, forgot you dated her."

"If you can call it dating. All she wanted to do was get in my pants."

Kenny raised both of his eyebrows. "And you…"

"No, we never did it. It never felt right. Like there was—I don't know. Matt always said I was too much of a girl, wanting my first time to mean something, but it was more than that." Zach shoved his untouched tray of food off to the side. "Hell, what do I know? Maybe I should have just gotten it over with. At lest that way I'd know what to do if…" He remembered he was not talking to Matt and trailed off.

Kenny continued eating his lunch as nothing had changed. Zach's respect for the boy grew tenfold. He stared passed Kenny's shoulder his eyes settling on Peter for some reason. The jock was sitting at a table surrounded by his teammates as usual, but he seemed different. If Zach did not know any better he would have sworn Peter was worried.

Kenny spoke up after finishing his turkey sandwich. "How's the ringing today?" He sounded guilty.

Zach smiled. "Almost gone. I think I've got a handle on it."

"Good, I'm glad. I—I want you to know…" He trailed off and looked around, but no one was paying them any attention. "I didn't ask for this. I…"

"Ken, it's cool, dude. I was bound to get one eventually. I'm actually relieved it's someone I know."

Kenny returned his smile timidly. "It's still so weird though, you know."

Zach nodded. "Yeah."

"How's Matt?" asked Kenny after a few moments.

Zach could only shrug. His cousin had been ignoring all of Zach's text messages. He glanced over at the table across the lunchroom where Sophia sat with a few of the drama team. She looked as despondent as he felt.

"They'll work it out," said Kenny confidently.

"I don't know. Sophia isn't one to let something go. She knows we're keeping a secret."

Kenny picked up his backpack and pulled out a notebook. "Maybe you or Matt should just tell her."

Zach's brows creased. "Absolutely not. Have you not been watching the news?"

Kenny looked up from the set of formulas they had to have memorized for the test next period. "Of course I have, but not everyone is an idiotic dumbass. Sophia's not stupid. She'll be able to tell the difference between you and a demon."

"She's religious."

Kenny returned to the formula list. "So? Aren't you?"

"That's different. I—I can see the difference."

"Whatever. It was just a thought."

Zach left him to his studying. He pondered over the idea of telling Sophia everything. If he told Sophia he would have to tell Andrew, and Andrew would have to tell Daniel. He was not sure he could trust his secret with so many people. All it would take was one slip up and his family would be put on the recently announce Witch Register. If things kept going the way they were the register, a watch list, was quickly going to turn into a hit list. His musings were interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. Deep inside his gut he knew whose scream it was.

"Kenny, call my dad," he yelled as he threw the teen his cellphone.

Zach rushed out of the lunchroom and down the corridors. Students and teachers were running in the opposite direction, shoving and pushing their way away from the auditorium. The feeling of dread intensified, and he increased his pace. Subtly he used his telekinesis to keep people out of his path; thankful his dad had shown him that particular trick the other day. He reached the auditorium and bashed through the double doors.

Inside the room was even more chaotic than the corridors. Chairs, benches and tables were upturned and strew across the room. Some of the props from the play were on fire. A larger fire was making its way up the stage's curtains. Bodies of children lay broken on the stage. The reek of burnt flesh assaulted his nostrils. Zach coughed.

In the center of the stage stood Rebecca quailing behind Corey. Corey was holding up a broken piece of wood and slashing it through the air. In front of them stood a laughing creature. The demon was both elegant and terrifying. She towered over the tall senior and slashed at him with clawed hands. A serpentine tail lashed back and forth behind her from beneath dark robes. Two tightly curled horns adorned her head both tipped by tongues of fire. Her face was human enough except for the lack of a nose and the two very prominent fangs.

Zach paused unsure how to handle the situation. The demon attacked again, batting aside the broken piece of wood with ease. She slapped Corey aside with her other hand. The well-built teen went flying. He landed several feet away his body bending where it should not be able to bend. His eyes were open, but there was no life in them.

"NO!" The yell of fury and sadness ripped out of his throat.

The demon turned around slowly and grinned. "About time, my sweats."

Zach waved his hand. The demon stumbled backwards. "You will have to do better than that, my love."

Rebecca whimpered drawing the demon's attention. She smiled wickedly and pounced. Zach reacted throwing both hands out. Instead of attacking the demon he focused on Rebecca. He felt his magic connect with her, and he drew his arms back toward him. She flew out of the demon's reach and into his arms. She stared up at him fearfully.

"Get out of here," he commanded putting her down.

The demon screeched her fury at being denied her prey. The tongues of flame on her horns rose up and turned into a wall of fire. The inferno burst out from her and charged toward him and Rebecca. Zach grabbed her hand and tried to orb out, but something was blocking him. The wall was almost upon them. He threw his body in front of Rebecca in a vane attempt of at least saving her. The heat shimmered around them and died.

Zach blinked.

Kenny stood in the doorway with both hands outstretched. His eyes were squeezed shut and sweat drenched his face and shirt. The demon turned her attention on the elemental and snapped something with her forked tongue. Kenny crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"This is to be a fight between you and myself for the hand of that lovely plaything next to you. I do not like girls, honey. You are all I desire, but my brothers do need a new toy."

She jumped down from the smoldering stage, and the ground shook when she landed. A fire ball appeared in one of her clawed hands. Casually she threw it at them. Zach pulled the stunned Rebecca to the floor. The fire ball exploded on the wall behind them. Zach scrambled to his feet.

"What are you?"

The demon chuckled melodiously. "I am a Vrykolakas or if you prefer a vampire. A seductress of the highest order. Just hand over that pretty quivering mess, and I'll show you pleasure you have never even dared dream of."

Zach inched over to block Rebecca from the demon's view.

The Vrykolakas genuinely smiled. "It always amazes me the way good witches act against their own self interest. You defend these humans while they slaughter your kind. What do they have to do for you to realize they do not desire your kindness or your love?"

Zach could not think; he was nearly paralyzed with fear. He had never heard of a Vrykolakas. Even if he had it would have made little difference. He was a novice with his powers. No matter how powerful he was the fact was he could not control them. This demon clearly had years if not centuries of experiences. There was no way he would be a match against her. So far she had been toying with him; he could tell. If she truly wanted to end this battle it would be over already.

"It is always a pity when you meet your idols. They always fall far short of the pedestal you've put them on. I always thought the day I met one of the famed Halliwell clan it would be a challenge," mocked the Vrykolakas.

Zach glanced over his shoulder at Rebecca. She was in shock. He remembered Corey and saw his friend's broken body engulfed in flames. The entire stage was on fire. Even if the demon kept talking instead of fighting they would still die. He was already lightheaded and coughing from the amount of smoke in the room.

The demon pulled out something from beneath her robes. She held up the long and thin silver blade. Deliberately she slid the blade over her wrist, leaving a trail of red blood. The blood that collected on the blade, however darkened and thickened. The shiny silver dulled. Zach recognized the molted appearance of the metal. It was the same texture the athame the wraith had used on him.

"It was your blood!" he exclaimed.

She laughed. "Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure. The wraith's blade was coated in the blood of another. One they consider more powerful than me, yet here I am. I could kill you whenever I like. And unlike that pathetic wraith, I face you with your powers restored."

She twirled the blade between her fingers. Zach was amazed at her dexterity. The auditorium's melted doors shimmered and shattered. The Vrykolakas released the blade. Zach yelled. Two massive bat-like wings sprouted from beneath the demon's cloak. She flew into the air and threw two more fire balls before crashing through the roof and vanishing from view.

Zach waved his hand redirecting the two hurtling fire balls. They crashed harmlessly into the floor fifty feet away. He dropped down beside Rebecca and pulled her into a tight hug, telling her everything will be alright. Chris appeared at his side.

"Where is it?" asked Chris.

Zach pointed at the hole in the roof. His uncle vanished beneath an invisibility spell, and Zach sensed him follow the demon's trail. He could not care less if the demon escaped as long as it stayed away from Rebecca. Slowly Rebecca came back to life, and she clung tightly to him. When he was sure she was capable he stood up and they made their way over to where Kenny had fallen.

His dad knelt beside Kenny healing the elemental. His mother stood by the door along with his aunt casting spells of some fashion or another. His dad acknowledged him with a nod.

"How is he?" asked Zach croakily.

"He'll live. That was very foolish."

Zach nodded. "I know, but I couldn't wait. I felt Rebecca's fear."

Wyatt frowned and looked at his son. "You felt her fear?"

"Yeah. Not as clearly as with Kenny, but it was there."

Kenny's breathing became less labored and his eyes flickered open. "What the hell."

Wyatt stood up and surveyed the damage. He snapped his fingers and the fire on stage became smoldering embers. "This is going to take a lot of memory dust to explain away."

Chris returned walking out from beneath the conjured invisibility veil. "She got away."

"What was she?"

Zach spoke before Chris could answer. "A Vrykolakas."

When both his dad and uncle paled Zach knew just how lucky he was to still be standing. He hugged Rebecca again thankful she had survived.

Sarah joined them. "How are we going to explain this?"

"I have no idea," said Wyatt.

Sarah eyed Zach and Rebecca. "We could just let the truth stand."

"Meaning?" asked Prue joining them.

"Demon attacked the school. No need to tell them we chased it off."

Zach hated how casually the adults were talking. "She killed people. Corey—I watched her kill Corey."

His mother gave him a sympathetic look. "Loosing innocents is never easy, but there is a bigger problem. Vrykolakas are demons of the shadow plan. For her to have entered the school someone had to invite her."

Zach frowned confused. "Meaning?"

"Meaning one of your teachers is a demon," said his mother ominously.

AN: Thank you one and all for reading this twisted story so far. I love the kind words I've received both here and elsewhere. If you want to join in the festivities why not leave a review? They really do help dispel writer's block.

In terms of story this is about the halfway point. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride so far. It's going to get a lot more exciting.

A question who guys may want to answer or not: which of the next generation characters do you like the most? You guys should vote...who knows it might save someone's life *laughs evilly*.

Right, night folks!