Only an hour remained until the New Year commenced.

As the prospect of midnight came closer, Phoebe Halliwell took a pause to relish in the feeling of weightlessness that always seemed to overwhelm her. There was something powerful about a New Year. There was something hopeful and magical in the idea of a fresh start. No matter how naive the notion, it never failed to liven her each New Year's Eve.

A lot had changed for Phoebe. Not physically perhaps but in the past twenty years or so she had lost some of the happy-go-lucky nature that she had once beamed with. Some would attribute it to maturity and age but those who knew her best, like her sisters, knew that so much of it rested with the sad realization that her happily ever after never lasted.

She loved Coop. Her ex-husband was everything she could have wished for. He was passionate and engaging and humble. He was supposed to be her perfect match. A piece to complete a whole, sent to her from none other than the heavens. Perhaps that was what was so disheartening. If she couldn't make it work with Coop what hope did she have? It was discontenting to accept that two people with so much love to give couldn't endure.

Their separation had been painful. Neither of them really wanted to do it but neither of them had a better answer. They made plenty of excuses. They had rushed into things, married too soon, neglected each other, gotten too involved with charges, work, demons, magic, and children. Children. Phoebe's greatest regret of the entire ordeal of course wasn't that she and Coop hadn't lasted, but how devastated their separation had left their daughters. It was for that reason alone that she would take it all back.

But now it was too late.

"Okay, someone better tell me who's dancing with Mel…"

Phoebe snapped out of her thoughts, giving a warm smile as her oldest nephew approached the table, clad in a double-breasted chef's jacket. He slipped into an empty seat at the table next to Lucy, sporting a familiar grin.

"I was just asking the same thing," Chris said, a heavy gaze still across the restaurant.

"You guys leave your sister alone," Piper sighed.

"We're just asking," Wyatt replied.

"Trust us; it's in her best interest. That guy could be a murderer for all we know," Chris said.

"Well, he's not," Sam told them. "We work together. He's a nice guy."

"That's what you say now," Chris replied. "I think Wyatt and I may have to have a talk with him."

"Oh my God! Mel is right, you two scare off anyone who comes near her!"

"Not anyone. We're just protecting her."

"More like alienating her," Lila spoke up from across the table. "How would you like it if we scared off the girls you three brought home?"

"We'd thank you," Joey quipped.

Chris, Gage, Wyatt, and Joey immediately erupted with deep laughter and exchanged enthusiastic fist pounds. Lila gave her beau a pinch to the arm and Sam rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Pigs," she said.

"Speaking of girlfriends, Wyatt, when are we ever going to meet yours?" Lucy asked.

A blush warmed the head chef's cheeks and he gave a laugh. "Well, after seeing how things went with Laura and James…"

"We weren't that bad," Lucy groaned.

"Right," Leo chuckled. "I think we all sufficiently scared him."

"Eh, I'd give them two more weeks anyway," Lila muttered.

"Whoa, that's cold," Chris said. "Especially for the family Cupid."

"What? I'm just saying. She's not honest with him. And I don't think he could handle the whole magic thing," Lila explained.

"You never know. They may surprise you," Gage said, leaning in and kissing the back of her ear.

"And you say I'm a hopeless romantic…" Lila giggled, turning to lock lips with him.

"Gross, get a room," Lucy broke in.

"We had one until you barged in this morning," Gage replied as he rose, offering Lila a hand. "I believe you owe me a dance."

"Why do I owe you a dance?" Lila asked as she joined him.

"Oh you know why," Gage answered.

Lucy's mouth remained open wide and her eyes filled with familiar outrage, while her sister and Gage departed with a chorus of laughter. "Am I the only one about to lose my dinner?" she asked. "Anyone?"

"We just try to ignore it, Lou," Sam said with a bemused smile. She got up from her chair and placed hands on Chris' shoulders. "Come on."

"Come on where?"

"To dance. With me. Right now," Sam replied. "There's no way I'm letting you skip out on the dance floor before the night is over."

Chris groaned as he was nearly yanked from his seat, mumbling words of protest but eventually complying. Wyatt looked to his younger cousin and offered a hand. "Lucy, would you do me the honor?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

"What? Hey, not cool," Joey said, but Wyatt and Lucy had already departed, leaving him with his aunts and uncle. "Did you just see that?"

"Yep," Leo chuckled.

"Two dates stolen in one night," he grumbled. "Betrayed by my own cousins of all people. But don't feel sorry for me, I have a plan C."

"Plan C?"

"I was a boy scout for six years; always be prepared. Of course I have a plan C," Joey explained. With that he gave his aunt a childish grin. "Aunt Piper, care to join me?"

"I'm your plan C?"

"Think of yourself as my secret plan A," Joey replied.

"Are you sure you want to take the dance floor with an old woman?"

"Not old; experienced, and of course," he smiled as she grudgingly complied to accompany him. Leo gave them a playful wink and chuckled as they joined the rest of the family. Phoebe gave a long sigh next to him and a grin of her own seemed to spread.

"Well, what do you say brother-in-law? Shall we join the fun?"

"Is that you asking me to dance?" Leo asked.

"I would say so."

"Well, I would love too, but I think I may have to honorably step aside to a potentially better suitor," Leo teased, his bright eyes flashing with enthusiasm.

Phoebe's face twitched with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She suspiciously turned of follow Leo's gaze behind her as a familiar voice made her warm from the inside out. "I hope I'm not too late…"

"Coop," Phoebe nearly exclaimed. She did her best to remain under control. She couldn't appear too desperate; he was still her ex-husband after all. Her lips still curved with a gentle smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, a certain someone who is not to be named invited me, insisting that I come spend the New Year with you," Coop grinned.

"Piper…" Phoebe grumbled with a shake of her head.

"To be honest I'm glad she did. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he told her.

"And this is where I take my leave," Leo chuckled. "Enjoy yourselves kids."

Both Phoebe and Coop simultaneously blushed, gazes stuck on one another's. It was amazing how the time a part and the pain of separation had only seemed to make their desire grow. Sometimes it seemed as if they were young again, still struggling with feelings and embarrassment. But now, even as their love seemed renewed, their hearts danced with much more caution than before. They had become less reckless with age and quieter about their true feelings.

"You look beautiful," Coop told her softly.

Phoebe lowered her head with unusual bashfulness, trying her best to ignore the excitement that tightened her chest. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"Come on," he said. "For old time's sake, let me dance with you."

When she met his eyes, there was something familiar. It was passion, sentiment, and longing. He had a glint that only seemed to shine for her. And each time she saw it, it was impossible to resist. With little hesitancy she grabbed his hand, reminded that perhaps the New Year was hopeful after all.

In fact, maybe it wasn't too late.

By nine o'clock that evening, Kate had received seven voicemails and a variety of other messages from just about every member of the Halliwell family. It wasn't that she was surprised. She came from a family of paranoid witches who were always ready for the worst and she was no exception. But she couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't face them. Not with the thoughts that tormented her or the painful feelings that made her sick. No she couldn't face them; at least not sober.

She wasn't sure what had gotten into her when she had started except that she wanted to forget. After her experience with Valerie she was near breaking point and that was a point she refused to reach. Drinking was simply a distraction. Well, not simply, for by the time she reached the Triquetra her head was swimming and her words were beginning to slur. Even her orbing was a little off and if it wasn't for the lucky cover of some bushes she would have certainly been exposed.

Now as she shuffled through the Triquetra she stuck out like a sore thumb among the well-dressed and affluent. She wiped her hands on her jeans and twisted a piece of brown air behind her ear, not stopping her uneasy stride until she had swiped a glass of champagne from one of the many servers. Kate nearly chugged the bubbling drink, allowing it to sizzle down her throat and consume her.

"Kate?"

The voice of her uncle made her jump and in an instant Kate lowered the glass, setting her bleary hazel eyes on him.

"Honey, is everything all right?" Leo asked with concern. He placed a careful hand on his niece's back, trying his best to lead her toward a quieter part of the party. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his touch and barely managed a secure response.

"I'm . . . I'm fine," Kate replied.

Leo found greater difficulty in masking his worry. His intuition was screaming and his parental instinct was sending him alerts just as urgently. He had not only raised children of his own but he had watched his nieces and nephew grow up. He knew them much better than they realized.

"We were all worried," Leo began. "Wyatt and Sam were going to start looking for you."

"Well, I'm here," she nearly snapped.

Her uncle studied her closer and his jaw stiffened slightly as he grounded himself. "Kate, have you been drinking?" he asked.

She was too smart to deny the fact that she smelled like a pub but too stubborn to succumb to Leo's accusation. "Have I been drinking? Of course I've been drinking. Look around uncle Leo. Everyone is drinking! The real question is have you been drinking?"

Her voice echoed loudly in the small radius surrounding the pair and Leo's face dropped slightly. A few people around noticed the scene and he quickly tried to quell it.

"I don't think that's important right now," he said. "How about I take you home . . ."

"Don't be a hypocrite!"

It was well established that the Mitchell-Matthews twins were held together by a unique bond. They could sense one another across miles, countries, and even worlds. Across the noisy Triquetra provided Sam with no exception and in an instant her sharp auburn eyes darted across the restaurant.

"Is that Kate?"

Chris' gaze became a pit of guilt at his cousin's words. The two stopped their dancing and focused in on where Leo was trying to whisk away a belligerent Kate. Sam's face tightened with annoyance.

"What the hell does she think she's doing? And where the hell has she been?" she growled. Sam scowled as she stalked away from her dance partner and Chris anxiously clamored after her.

"Wait!" he said. He grabbed her by the wrist, attempting to hold her back. If Kate was in any condition similar to how he had found her a few nights before than nothing good was going to come from Sam storming over.

"Stop it," Sam told him. She yanked her hand away from his hold. "She's not going to get away with acting like this anymore."

"Let's just not make a scene…" Chris grumbled as he chased after her, anxiety radiating off of him now. If he had to break away one more group of squabbling sisters he was going to lose it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sam spat as soon as Kate was in earshot.

Her older sister gave a sloppy smile and rolled her eyes. "It's New Year's Eve. And it's a party for our m-m-mother," she reasoned. "You're the one who was telling me that I needed to come and getting mad at me for not showing up."

"Showing up drunk and dressed like you just crawled out of bed wasn't a part of the deal!"

"Screw you!" Kate slurred. "And I'm not drunk!"

"Uncle Leo, can you just take her home?"

"I'm not leaving!"

"Yes you are!"

"Don't touch me!"

Chris quickly stepped forward, putting an end to the swatting of hands between the twins and gritting his teeth in frustration. "Both of you knock it off," he ordered.

"Chris, she's out of control," Sam hissed.

"Let's just do this somewhere else, okay?" Chris sighed.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Carry me out of here like you did last time?" Kate blurted out drunkly. Chris' face dropped slightly as Leo and Sam were overcome with confusion.

"What the hell is she talking about?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Chris replied tersely. He grabbed Kate by the elbow, attempting to direct her away.

"Oh don't! You're full of shit Chris," Kate hissed. She narrowed a glare at her twin sister. "And so are you. You sneaking, lying . . ."

"What is going on?" Joey interjected, approaching with concern. Piper was at his side bringing a familiar maternal authority with her.

"Listen, this is not the place to do this," Chris insisted.

"What do you mean I'm the sneaking, lying one?" Sam barked.

"Oh don't act so innocent! I was down in the Underworld when we were reading mom's will and . . ."

"I knew it!"

"There was a demon there who thought that I was you," Kate growled. "Y-Y-You want to do some-some explaining…"

"Okay, enough! Leo take Kate home; now," Piper interjected.

"I'll go with you," Joey decided.

"Oh no we are not done here!"

"Oh yes you are," Piper told her niece. "You have a demon to worry about and …"

"Excuse me, can we have everyone's attention?"

The group went quiet at the voice echoing from the microphone. The band had stopped playing and those on the dance floor stopped, setting gazes on the person who had taken to the podium on the stage. People slowly began making their way toward their seats or took to watching the speaker with obedience.

"Thank you. For those of you who don't know, I'm Steven Clark, President of the San Francisco Foundation. Every New Year's Eve the SFF organizes a charity banquet to honor our hardworking city council members, social workers, police officers, firefighters, and other city workers. On behalf of everyone here tonight, we thank you."

A light applause filled the room at his words and the tension between the Halliwells continued as Sam and Kate exchanged glares and Chris blushed with anxiety. Speeches were beginning and that meant that the Mayor would be making his appearance soon which meant that he needed to find the sisters and fast…

"Before we get into more logistics and awards, I would first like to recognize those responsible for making tonight's party happen. This includes our events coordinator Molly Wexler and all of our staff. Most of all, we want to be sure to thank the owner of the Triquetra, Piper Halliwell and her sons Chris and Wyatt. The Halliwells have two respected establishments in the Bay Area and are a prime example of a successful family business."

There was another thunder of clapping and by then Wyatt had joined his mother, brother, and father, who gave modest waves to their admirers.

"Great, now everyone knows who we are," Chris grumbled as he waved.

"That's not a bad thing," Leo whispered through a pair of smiling teeth.

"It is when we have to stop a demon," he growled.

"Just relax," Wyatt sighed.

"We need to find the mayor," Chris insisted. "Mom, freeze the . . ."

"No, Chris, nothing is even wrong yet," Piper replied.

"I don't care."

"The Halliwells actually lead me into our next order of business," Steven continued charismatically. "Every year we recognize a deceased citizen who has served the city of San Francisco. This year we honor Paige Matthews, a woman not only related to the Halliwells, but who also dedicated over a decade as a social worker and a member of the city ordinance committee."

Despite the anxiety and anger, a somber and quiet solitude soon took over the Halliwells. Piper swallowed down hard and Leo placed a gentle hand on her back. Across the way on the dance floor Coop wrapped an arm around Phoebe and she rested her head on his chest. Lucy took a spot next to Joey and squeezed his hand.

"I know that Paige's three children are here tonight and I was hoping that they would join me on stage…" Steven said.

At this the crowd clapped and shifted as if looking to spot the trio. Sam's face fell slightly and Joey's eyes widened in confusion, looking to his family for an answer.

"Come on, Sam, Joey, Kate, I know you're all out there somewhere," he continued at the microphone.

The applause became louder and the Halliwells became uneasy. "What do we do?" Joey asked.

"That's our cue," Kate slurred. She staggered forward unbalanced and Joey nearly pounced to her side to help her maintain balance.

"Just go," Piper nodded to Sam.

The enthusiasm of the party slowed as the three made a stand on stage. Steven shook their hands, giving an artificial smile. It was obvious he was just using them as a prop but Joey had no problem complying. Sam on the other hand remained guarded with a locked jaw, anxiously glancing at her swaying sister who seemed to be in absolutely no condition to be at the party, let alone on stage.

"As you can guess, family was a large part of Paige's life. As a social worker she made each one of the people she work with feel like family. She gave them her full commitment, compassion, and care, and for that will always be remembered by not only those who were close to her but all those she helped."

Kate tried her best to ignore the words. Her focus was skewed and her balance nearly nonexistent but she wasn't too drunk to remember her mother. She wasn't drunk enough to forget the agony of loss. Her heart raced painfully beneath her chest, reminding her of the feelings she was trying so desperately to suppress.

"Her constant effort to better our city is exactly what made her so valuable to San Francisco. Not only was Paige devoted to her calling but her husband, Henry Mitchell, worked as a parole officer for the San Francisco Police Department. His death was unfortunate for the entire SFPD and his family but rather than slip into mourning, Paige stepped up to serve just as valiantly as her husband. It is for that chivalry and selflessness that we honor Paige tonight. Her recent untimely death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. While she cannot be here tonight we know that . . ."

"Untimely death," Kate repeated. The words tumbled out of her mouth erratically and Steven paused at the interruption. "Untimely death?"

"Kate…" Joey whispered to her. "Stop."

"You know how she died?" Kate choked out. "You want-want to know?"

"Shit," Lucy muttered. Piper and Leo exchanged glances of panic.

"Get her down from there," Chris said.

A hum of whispers echoed throughout the restaurant as people exchanged confused looks. It was one thing that Kate took the stage in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt but a complete other that she began shouting nonsensically.

"Kate, don't do this here," Sam growled.

"She's dead because I couldn't save her!" she shouted.

There was an uproar now. Voices raised as more questions were asked. In the back of the restaurant, still seated at the bar, Bianca's eyes flashed with intrigue. "So much for a dead end case…" she mumbled.

"I tried! But she just died. And I couldn't do anything! I couldn't heal her! I couldn't heal her!"

By now Joey was nearly dragging Kate down from the stage. She stumbled and flailed ungracefully, her belligerency at its maximum. Wyatt helped Joey, taking her other arm and draping it over his shoulder. "Don't touch me! I'm fine!" Kate insisted.

Sam followed behind the group, trying to ignore the stares and flurry of gossip. Laura and James cut through the crowd and as soon as her cousin was in reach, Laura placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, she's just drunk," Sam snapped.

A path seemed to clear for the Halliwells, headed by Joey and Wyatt with Kate. They made their way for the kitchen in the back of the restaurant. "I can take her home," Wyatt said.

"You have a restaurant to manage. I can take her. The car's out back," Joey replied.

"I can't believe she would do this," Sam hissed.

"I know you're probably mad at her but . . ." Laura's words came to an abrupt halt and she quickly stopped walking. James came to a standstill beside her, oblivious to the intensity that filled her eyes or the way her back tensed. Her skin was crawling with a familiar sensation.

"Are you okay?" James asked.

Laura ignored him and instead locked gazes with Sam who seemed to realize her troubles. "Sam…" she muttered. "I think . . ."

"Right now?" Sam asked.

James looked between the two girls in confusion. "Just a feeling," Laura replied uneasily. Her sensing ability was raging with full force and Sam was also beginning to get the air of déjà vu as they locked eyes.

"What's going on?" James asked.

"Nothing, everything's fine," Laura stammered. "I just need to find Chris. I'll be right back."

"Yeah go. Hurry," Sam advised.

"Wait, can someone tell me . . ."

James' request went unmet as both Halliwells efficiently took off in opposite directions. Before Wyatt and Joey could disappear with Kate through the double doors of the kitchen, Sam quickly stopped them.

"Wyatt!" she called.

"What?"

"It's happening. We might need you," Sam said.

"Go, I can take care of Kate," Joey advised. Melinda had joined him and nodded in agreement.

"We've got it," she told her brother.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Kate gurgled.

"Oh God," Joey grumbled.

"Don't take her to the kitchen if she's going to puke!" Wyatt called after them but it was too late. He gave a sigh. "Great, the health inspector is going to love that…"

"Wyatt, focus!" Sam shouted.

"Right, sorry, let's go."

Panic swirled in Laura's gut as she skidded to a halt at the lingering group of Halliwells. Piper, Leo, Chris, Lucy, Phoebe, and Coop awaited her arrival with deep set paranoia. "Chris, it's time…dad? What are you doing here?"

"Uh…your aunt Piper invited me."

"She what?"

"Wait, Laura, what are you talking about?" Chris cut in. He rolled his eyes at the family's near hereditary A.D.D.

"The demon is here. I can sense him and I think that . . ."

Her words were drown out by a crescendo of clapping and in an instant their heads snapped in the direction of the stage.

And all too suddenly the mayor took the podium.

Just a short installment that I wanted to put up ASAP. Hopefully this episode will be wrapped up soon. Let me know what you think! I appreciate all your reviews :)