*Demon Reunion*

Krenkin paced the cave restlessly. 'Orrin.' He snapped at his brother in impatience. 'Orrin, what's taking so long?'

Orrin looked up from where he was gazing into a bowl of water at Paige, who was crooning lullabies to Serena. 'It'll be difficult Krenkin.' He answered. 'There are many lower level demons attacking the Charmed ones right now. We'd need to make an appointment.'

Krenkin didn't find the joke funny. 'We can't wait any longer! With every month that passes more and more Charmed ones appear. Orrin we've been watching them for almost a year and a half!'

'In their time. It's been five months here.' Orrin interrupted.

Krenkin scowled at his brother. 'Orrin there are two sets of Charmed ones and a third set coming. We can't afford to wait!'

'We can't attack either.' Orrin replied angrily.

'Well then we'll just have to ask one of the best.' Krenkin answered. 'I say we contact Belthazor.'

Orrin looked doubtful. 'Would he want to be disturbed by us? Really, take that into consideration.'

'I told you Orrin they grow more powerful everyday. One of them even has demon powers, which is beyond me how they got them.'

'Fine.' Orrin pulled a book from the shelf. 'I hate doing this.'

'It's the only way.'

* *

'Bye Grace, I'll see you at home later.' Wyatt said cheerfully. He looked up at Cole. 'Bye Uncle um, I mean, by Mr. Turner.' He said solemnly.

Cole grimaced. 'Bye Wyatt, tell your Aunt Phoebe I'll bring Grace home at five.' Cole grabbed Grace's hand and the two crossed the street, heading for the nearest alleyway.

'That's okay daddy.' Grace answered, 'as long as I can play with your toplap. Can I?'

Cole frowned. 'Gracie, whenever you play with my laptop-'

'Toplap.' Grace interrupted.

'Whatever. Whenever you play with it, it gets broken and it costs money to fix.' Cole answered. 'Maybe you can do something else?'

'But daddy.' Grace's bottom lip wobbled. 'Please?'

'We can stop by a toy store.' Cole said hastily. 'And buy you that dollhouse you wanted.'

Grace's eyes lit up. 'The one with the real water coming out, and real lights and cute little dollies?'

'Uh huh.' Cole said, as he glanced at his watch. 'Whatever you want, I feel so guilty that I can't take you somewhere else today.'

Grace shrugged. 'It's not a big deal, as long as I get the dollhouse.'

'Of course.' Cole pulled her into the nearest alleyway and shimmered her to a toy store. Moments later they walked out, Cole carrying a large box. 'Grace.' He grunted. 'You couldn't have picked something smaller?'

Grace laughed as she tugged Cole to the back of the store. They shimmered back to the penthouse.

* *

'Hi there, I'm Miss Carol!' The red headed woman said brightly.

'Hi, I'm Piper Halliwell and this is my husband Leo Wyatt.' Piper answered, as Miss Carol shook her hand energetically.

'And who have we got here?' She asked, bending over so she was level with Melinda.

'I'm Mellie. And you have something on your teeth, Mish Carol.' Melinda answered promptly, using the lisp she spoke with around strangers. Miss Carol's smile faltered as Piper gave her a false smile.

'Shall we go in?' Leo suggested quickly.

'Of course.' Miss Carol nodded and led them in, her tongue working around her mouth to find what Melinda had pointed out.

Leo picked Melinda up and followed them inside.

'Hours here are eight to four thirty.' Miss Carol said as they went through a playground, where screaming children played and stared at Melinda. Melinda frowned as a little boy stuck his tongue out at her.

'Oh that's fine. We can drop her off at nine and pick her up at three if that's okay.' Piper asked.

'Absolutely! Now, Melinda may,' the two women walked on, talking. Leo hung back and put Melinda down.

'Do you want to play?' He asked her, ruffling her hair.

'I don't know.' Melinda said, sounding very small. Leo realized how shy and scared she must be.

'That's okay. Maybe later.' He picked her up and hurried to catch up.

* *

Paige was sitting in a rocking chair in the nursery, singing softly to Serena when she heard something. Her head jerked up to see a lower level demon with wild hair shimmer in. Quickly but gently she put Serena in her bassinet.

'Put up your shield.' Paige whispered. Serena obeyed as Paige searched for something to hit him with. There were no promising weapons.

The demon began to form an energy ball in his hand. 'Energy ball.' Paige blurted out. The energy ball orbed to Paige, who dropped it on the floor, making a scorch mark. 'Hot.' She whimpered.

The demon sneered as he charged up another.

'Oh great.' Paige muttered. 'Why do I have no weapons to combat with?' She orbed downstairs and grabbed a candlestick off the bookshelf, then orbed back upstairs. 'Hey. Where'd he go?' Paige wondered.

In the mirror in the hall she caught a brief glimpse of a demon - not the one following her, but the one who had been in the store mirror. But maybe she'd been imagining it. There was a noise behind her and something hit Paige from behind. She fell to the floor as the second energy ball the demon had been forming hit the mirror, shattered it and reflected back to the demon.

* *

Half an hour later Piper and Leo arrived home from the pre-school, with Melinda in tow.

'Mellie you just don't tell Miss Belinda that her ankles are fat, or Miss Noelle that her armpits are hairy. It's not polite.' Piper said impatiently. 'I don't care if it's true or not! You're grounded for the rest of the week, understand?'

'Piper!' Leo called from the hall. 'Piper get up here.'

Piper and Melinda ran down the hall, where Leo was kneeling over Paige, who was lying amidst a broken mirror. In the nursery, Serena was crying.

Leo placed his hands over Paige and began to heal her. Her eyelids fluttered.

'What happened?' Leo asked gently.

'Demon. Those guys are getting so annoying.' Paige answered.

'Tell me about it.' Melinda answered, rolling her eyes. Everyone stared at her.

* *

Grace carefully carried the water tank back from the bathroom sink to her room at the penthouse and attached it to the roof of the dollhouse. She turned on one of the tiny taps in the tiny bathroom and watched, pleased, as water gushed out.

'Having fun?' Someone asked. Grace turned and screamed.

Cole ran in. 'Orrin?' He asked in disbelief.

'Belthazor? This is your place?' Orrin asked in disbelief. 'What's the Charmed one doing here? Is she captive?'

'More like what are you doing here.' Cole answered, puzzled.

'I came to see you but I found her instead.' He nodded at Grace, who was watching the exchange. 'So? Go on. Why is she here?'

'You mean you don't know? And where's Krenkin?'

'Krenkin is back in Obmil. We've been there for the past five years.'

'Explains a lot.' Cole nodded. Behind his back he formed an energy ball. 'Well to tell the tale short, I married Phoebe, a Charmed one, and had a daughter. Then we got divorced.'

'So that's why she has demon powers? Because you're sleeping with the enemy?' Orrin asked in disbelief.

'Was.' Cole corrected. 'And there is a minor in the room. Orrin, why are you here?'

Orrin narrowed his eyes. 'I came to get your help Belthazor but obviously you're not going to be any use.' He jumped forward and reached towards Grace, as Cole let loose his energy ball.

Grace screamed and shimmered as it hit Orrin, who was semi-transparent. 'I'm going back to Obmil.' Orrin said, disgusted, before vanishing completely. 'What a waste.'

'So who are these Orrin and Krenkin guys?' Piper repeated in frustration, glancing at her ex - brother in law in distaste.

'They're demons kicked out of the brotherhood. They weren't killed but were sent to Obmil instead.'

'Obmil?' Paige asked in confusion/