Piper was shaking with fear and rage. Paige gently led her over to the table to sit down.

"How could this happen?" Piper cried. "We've always been so careful. They were supposed to orb upstairs when we were attacked."

"I know, honey." Paige said soothingly.

"Where are they?" Piper asked through a torrent of tears. "What is he doing to them?"

"We'll find them." Paige said firmly. "And if one hair on those sweet little heads is out of place, I will personally kick his ass from here to the Underworld. But we aren't going to help them by sitting around here, so why don't you go up to the Book of Shadows, while I talk to our sister?"

Piper nodded, grabbing a tissue off the counter, and went upstairs. Phoebe came out from the doorway, where she'd been since the beginning of Paige's declaration.

"What happened?" she asked, seeing her older sister's tear-stained face.

Paige waited until Piper was out of earshot. "A warlock took the kids."

"Oh my God." Phoebe murmured. "Where?"

"That's what I sent Piper to find out," Paige replied. "I think we need to call Leo. I don't want to upset Piper any more than she obviously is, but they're his kids, too. He needs to be here."

Phoebe nodded. "Leo! Leo, get down here, damnit!"

He orbed in, looking confused. "Phoebe, what's wrong? Paige? Why do you both look so worried?"

"Maybe you'd better sit down." Paige suggested.

Leo sunk into a chair, and Paige explained what had happened. His initial response was the same as Phoebe's. "Oh my God."

Phoebe sat down in front of him. "I know, it's a lot to take in, but you need to absorb it fast, and then get Up There and see what your bosses know."

Leo sighed. "Where's Piper?"

"Attic." Paige replied.

He nodded, and orbed out.

-x-

He orbed into the attic, directly behind Piper.

"You're here." she said, startled.

"You sound surprised." he observed. "Piper, they're my kids, too. I'm just as scared as you are. Look, we aren't going to be able to help them if we're busy arguing with each other. We need to be together now."

She nodded, and leaned against him as she flipped through the book.

"There," she said, stopping at a page. "That's the bastard."

Leo looked over her shoulder. "Argus. It doesn't say much about him, except that he's powerful. There's no vanquishing spell here."

"What does he want Peter, Ty, and Cammie for?" Piper asked. "Why would anyone want to hurt three innocent children?"

He put his arms around her, sighing. "I guess he's using them to get to you and your sisters."

She crossed the room to sit down on the couch. He sat next to her, holding her.

"I hate this." she said. "This whole 'Charmed Ones' thing. I've always wanted to resist it, since before Prue died, but now... I don't know if I can do it anymore. We're constantly being attacked, half the time I spend with our kids is devoted to teaching them how to defend themselves, and obviously I'm not doing a very good job of it-"

"You're doing a wonderful job of it." Leo interrupted. "I'm the one who sucks as a parent. You are not the reason that he has them now."

Piper sighed. "I just feel like magic has completely taken over our lives, and it's been this way since before they were born. They hardly even have time to go to the park, or play with their friends. We're raising them as a witch and two whitelighters instead of a little girl and two boys, and it's not fair to them or to us."

"You're right," Leo agreed, "But what are you saying we should do about it?"

Piper stared at the floor, afraid to look at him directly. "I'm saying that something has to give. I'm saying that we need to raise our children in a safe environment where they can be kids. I'm saying.."

She paused. Leo rubbed her shoulder tenderly, encouraging her to go on.

She took a deep breath. "I'm saying we shouldn't do magic anymore."