Chapter 10 – Home Sweet Halliwell.

Piper Halliwell was baking cookies in her kitchen, a watchful eye on her two sons Wyatt and Chris, when the doorbell rang.

"Who could this be, huh babies?" Piper was cheerfully saying as she made her way to the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see a drenched young woman stood on her doorstep, her eyes streaming with tears.

"Can I help you?"

"P-Piper, it's Steffi… is Phoebe in?"

"No, she's at the newspaper. Who did you say you were again?"

"S-Steffi Miller. I-I'm Charmz's friend – or at least, I was."

"Steffi? My God, I haven't seen you for what, ten years? Twelve years?"

"N-not since I was four… that's about fourteen years."

"Come in, come in honey… why do you look so sad?" Steffi gladly walked into the homely warmth of Halliwell Manor, her clothes dripping water onto the rug.

"I come here sometimes with Charmz; she likes to see big Chris, little Chris and Wyatt."

"So that's why big Chris gets so uptight. She steals his aunt's boyfriend and sleeps with him whilst dating Chris, so now she rubs it in his face!"

"That was kinda… Piper, what is that heavenly smell?"

"Double chocolate chip cookies. You want one?"

"I have many vices, and as far as I can remember your baking, it's definitely the least life-threatening."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment. Go and sit down in the living room, and Phoebe will be home soon."

"Thanks, Piper." Steffi's short but grateful reply touched Piper as she wandered back into the kitchen. Sending Chris and Wyatt into the living room to see Steffi, she pulled out tray of perfectly baked cookies. She turned around to the big kitchen table and jumped in shock at the sight of a slightly dishevelled Cole, sporting a rather aggressive looking black eye.

"Is Steffi here, Piper?"

"Why would you want to know if she was? And more to the point, why should I tell you?"

"Because we need to talk about some issues we're having."

"Issues?"

"Yeah. Couples issues."

"Wait, you and Steffi are…?"

"'Fraid so, Piper. I love her, a lot, and I want to make her happy."

"Which is why she turned up on my doorstep in tears?" said Piper quizzically. "Cos, if you don't mind my saying so, she looked really upset."

"I know… I said something really stupid and we fought. I thought she'd gone to one of her brothers' houses, which is why I didn't get here before now. It's also the reason for this," he said, pointing at his black eye. "I get the feeling I shouldn't have told Darryl that I was dating her."

"Our Darryl? As in Darryl Morris?"

"No, as in her brother, Darryl Miller."

"And why did you say one of her brothers? How many are there?"

"Five. She's the only girl, and the youngest."

"When you have two sisters that sounds like the lap of luxury. Believe me."

"You've got a point. Where's Steffi?"

"In the living room. But whilst you're here, I wanted a little help with a demon. Come up to the attic with me?" Cole did as he was told, and just as the attic door clicked shut, Phoebe slammed the front door behind herself as she bounded in.

"Anybody home? Piper? Paige? Leo?"

"Living room! Living room!" Wyatt called to his aunt. Phoebe, who had made her way into the kitchen after smelling the cookies, turned on her heel and looked into the living room, to discover an attractive blonde teenager playing with Wyatt and Chris.

"Um, you look really familiar. Do I know you?" At the sound of Phoebe's voice, Wyatt toddled over, saying:

"Aunty Phoebe, this is Steffi. She's a demon, but Mommy said we could play because she knows Aunty Charmz and she's a good demon!" Steffi stood up awkwardly, balancing baby Chris on her hip.

"Long time no see, huh Phoebe?"

A/N and Disclaimer: Phoebe, Piper, Paige, Leo, Cole, Chris and Wyatt are all property of the WB, despite my longing to own them and be a multi-millionaire with lots of men who want to sleep with and/or marry me. But life is not always fair, says the specky twt with spots.

This chapter has 661 words and I think it is utter balls. But if it's what the readers want, then what does my opinion matter? Please R+R as it is very late and I have stayed up to type this for your own good, not mine.