The Elders gathered in their Great Hall to discus the recent developments relating to the Charmed Ones. It was in this Great Hall that the Elders had met several weeks ago when one of them foresaw Piper failing to vanquish a demon in order to protect her young child. That failure set in motion a course of events that would lead Melinda to deviate from her potential destiny. While it had been greatly debated, the Elders ultimately decided that the child's role in future events was too important to allow it to be compromised by an overprotective mother.

It had also been in this place years earlier when an Elder had foreseen Kayle's human husband taking the trials to enter demonhood. They had decided then to allow Kayle one chance to save her husband, but upon her failure she was given no choice but to vanquish him. When she failed to do that, her son was deemed too important to be raised as a target of a demonic father. Kayle was a powerful witch, but she lost herself in despair upon her double tragedy. Despair soon turned to anger, and anger allowed her to channel her power in new ways.

It was in this Great Hall the Elders gathered. It was also in this place the Elders would come face to face with the consequences of their actions. It was in this place they would pay.

*****

The Elders were seated at a great semi-circular table when Leo, Piper and Kayle orbed into the room. They were clad in white robes, and the room was so brightly lit that it took Piper and Kayle a moment to adjust. Leo, despite his appearance, was still accustomed to the light. He also wasn't surprised that he still understood their language when the irritating clicking came resounding in his ears from several different directions.

Leo looked up annoyed at the beings in front of him. "In their tongue or not at all," he said.

Lyalia was the first to speak. "That is fair young one. Why are you here then? And what on Earth are you wearing?"

Lyalia was the first face Piper was able to focus on. She had light brown skin, dark hair, and big black eyes. She was very beautiful. Something in her eyes was comforting. When Piper looked at her she could feel the anger in her dissipate. Piper decided not to look at her anymore.

Leo turned toward Lyalia and felt himself calm down. "My outfit really isn't important right now. You have taken a Charmed One's daughter without permission or explanation. This is a crime that would have ended in a vanquishing if anyone else had committed it...."

Piper grumbled under her breathe, "Don't be so sure it won't still."

Leo turned around to smile at his wife, then continued, "We want our daughter returned."

Other Elders started to speak, but Lyalia glanced around the room and it went silent. They were allowing her to take the lead for the time being. "That explains your presence and that of your wife's, but what of Kayle? Why is she here?"

Piper found her voice then, "Because you did the same thing to her years ago. She deserves to be reunited with her son as much as we deserve to have Melinda returned to us."

Lyalia nodded. "Kayle knows why her son was taken."

Piper could feel her rage return even while looking at Lyalia now, "That doesn't make it right!"

A man to Piper's left spoke next seeing Lyalia was no longer having the calming effect they hoped she would. "Who are you to question our wisdom?"

Piper turned to face the idiot who had given her all the reason she needed to let her anger consume her. "Who am I? Who am I ? I am one of your precious Charmed Ones. I am one of the witches who defeated the Source and his council. Who am I?" Piper smirked as she said the last line. Then her tone took on a dangerous tone. "I'll show you who I am."

Piper blinked over behind the Elder who questioned her. "This is who I am," she whispered in his ear. Then she blinked back to face him. "This is who you have made me."

Over her shoulder she said to Leo and Kayle, "Do you guys suppose that Elders are high enough in the ladder of good that they'll reconstitute themselves after I blow them up like some demons do?"

Kayle spoke for the first time, "Don't know. Can't hurt to try."

Lyalia turned to Leo, "Aren't you going to do something?"

Piper turned around to face her husband. "So honey, what are you going to do?"

Another Elder stood up incensed by such blatant rebellion. "We will take your powers from you permanently this time Leo!"

Piper watched as a crossbow appeared in Leo's hand. "Oh, he has powers now that you can't touch," Piper smirked toward the standing Elder.

She turned back around, "Leo told me once that Elders were once whitelighters. Now I'm a little confused because we helped one of you pass on your powers not long ago to a kid and I think he was more of a witch than a whitelighter, but that's not important. What matters now is if you all share the same blood as whitelighters do," she said as she faced Leo aiming the crossbow at the council, "and the same weaknesses," she added with malice.

*****

Phoebe and Paige orbed into the room where Melinda was being held much to the surprise of the two whitelighters watching her. Phoebe let go of Paige's hand and threw two potion bottles at the still shocked guardians. When the bottles hit the floor, a green gas rose that when breathed by its targets caused them to fall to the floor.

Paige looked at the fallen whitelighters with concern then turned to Phoebe. "It's just a type of knockout gas. They'll be fine. They're just taking a really long nap," Phoebe said as she and Paige ran to Melinda's crib.

Paige picked up a sleeping Melinda and said, "Well good. Maybe when they wake up they'll know better than to mess with the Charmed Ones." She smiled at Melinda, "Isn't that right?" she said to the sleeping baby.

Phoebe let out a small laugh. "Come on, let's get back to Piper and Leo," she said as she reached to put her hands on Paige's shoulders. But before Phoebe could put her hands on Paige, she felt an eerie feeling come over her, one that she knew too well and had hoped to never feel again.

"Woah," Phoebe said as she looked to Paige to see if she felt it too. Paige's face changed as she felt the same feeling sweep through her. "What is that?" she asked as Melinda woke up crying.

"Evil," Phoebe answered. "Piper's given in."

Paige was still confused, "I don't understand. This didn't happen when you..." she stopped before she finished her thought.

Phoebe knew exactly what she was thinking, "I know, but it did happen to me and Piper once before with Prue. Maybe it's because our connection as sisters wasn't strong back when I gave in. It's the connection we're feeling now. There's also a good chance that's what is upsetting Melinda."

Paige nodded as she tried to comfort the upset baby. "So what do we do now?"

"We find Piper before it's too late. Can you sense her the way you did Melinda?" Phoebe asked.

"That was the whitelighter connection. Kind of like what I did to find Sam. I don't know if I can find Piper," Paige answered.

Phoebe was getting nervous, "Ok, what about Leo? You did that once."

Paige nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. "Maybe," she said, then suddenly she felt both of them. "They're up here. Give me your hand."

Paige, Phoebe and Melinda orbed away to find and save Piper and Leo, or at least they hoped to.

*****

Piper walked over to stand by her husband. "Pick an Elder," she said she waved her hand around the room. "Any Elder."

Leo moved the crossbow across the room and stopped before an Elder who appeared to be a middle-aged woman. "How about we start with her?" he asked his wife.

"It's all the same to me," Piper said as she shrugged.