A/N: *Sigh* Looks like I owe you another apology for the delay. I honestly hadn't meant to take that long to update. Blame it on writer's block.

Oh, and the song lyrics are from a song called Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. I LOVE that band! Another of their songs, The Battle of Evermore is based on Lord of the Rings long before the movies came out. That's where the name of the chapter comes from too!

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Siamese: You'll get no bet from me! My money's on Talia too! When it eventually get to that stage. I'm afraid this chapter might disappoint you a little bit.

Meow14: Thank you for wonderful comments.

Ernie: Finally. Someone. Appreciates. Me. I. was. Beginning. To. Lose. Hope.

Mickis: I'm sorry about the Mickis song. I hadn't thought about it, but  I'm sure it must get annoying after a while. It just kinda slipped out. Can I dedicate this chapter to you in way of an apology?

Ori: No you rock! I would be nothing without my wonderful reviewers, and that includes you!

Chantedly: Captivating and Entrancing? A reason to get online? Wow, you are really laying it on girl! But don't let that stop you...

And as for your demon... five tattoos?? You really do like the bad boy type, don't you? Although there is something incredibly sexy about a subtle tattoo... five of them? I'm assuming they're not exactly on any compromising places or I'm pretty sure your mother wouldn't have noticed. Best of luck with your demon, he sounds as if he could be hard to handle.

Bob-the-bear: Don't worry, Talia's pretty thick skinned and she doesn't mind. I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long for an update!

TanyaM: I don't know about purity. Talia's as far away from pure as they make them. I'm sorry if the confrontation scene between Talia and Cole below is disappointing, but I promise you, it was damn difficult to write! There should be another one soon if I have my way.

Barb6: I'm glad you enjoyed the phoenix scene. I wanted it to be very vivid. I could practically see it before my eyes as I was writing it. I have a feeling you like action. I hope you like this next bit!

Mixer: Your praise really made my day!

It's reviewers like you that give me enough confidence to keep posting my stories! I'm really sorry I've kept you waiting so long for you next dose, but I hope this chapter will be enough to fuel your addiction until the next instalment!

I hereby award you with the Best New Reviewer award, and I co-dedicate this chapter to you for you wonderfully glowing reviews!

If you keep reading (and reviewing) I promise I'll keep writing and doing my best to please.

Oh and Ernie says hi. I'm sorry he can't tell you himself right now, but your review of chapter 32 brought up some incredibly disturbing memories of our 'birds and the bees' talk earlier on. Needless to say, he still hasn't quite gotten over it!

Capricorn Lamia: Deb? Is this a new nick? Thanks for another glowing review. What can I say... I try!

Frances: I'm glad you like it! Keep reading?

Prue101: I love you too, toots! Don't worry about it. It happens to all of us. I'm supposed to be studying my economics as we speak, but I'm playing hooky!

And Nightcrawler... have I mentioned how much I love you lately?

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Hey guys... you know that pretty blue button on the left hand corner of the page that says GO on it? Why don't you press it and let me know what you think of my story?

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Chapter 37: Kashmir

"You did WHAT??"

Wyatt winced at his mother's reaction. As she lifted her hands in outrage, a vase that had previously stood proudly on the mantle, exploded into smithereens.

"Piper, calm down!" attempted Paige.

"And Talia...? Where's Talia?" asked a very concerned Phoebe.

"She went to talk to her father."

"WHAT???"

If possible, Wyatt mused, his mother's screech was even louder this time.

"Do you mean to tell me," gasped Phoebe, her eyes wide with terror, "that my daughter is in the Underworld right now surrounded by demons that want to kill her??"

She was about two seconds from hyperventilation, Wyatt calculated.

"Phoebe honey, breathe slowly," commanded Paige, "inhale, exhale..."

"Look, Aunt Phoebe, if anyone knows their way down there, it's Talia. You know that!"

"And you should know better!" said Piper, whose wild eyes had never left Wyatt.

"But Mom..."

"Don't you 'but Mom' me young man! You've been in this family long enough to know that we don't keep secrets! And what did you think you were doing letting your cousin flame alone to the Underworld?"

"It'snotlikeIcouldstopher!"

"Excuse me? What are you mumbling Wyatt?"

"I said, that it's not like I could stop her! Talia knows what she's doing when it comes to the Underworld. It was her idea to keep you out of this. We thought we could handle it!"

"Oh, you've handled it alright! Handled it badly!"

It was Paige who finally took pity on Wyatt and saved him from his mother.

"Piper you're not helping, and this isn't the time for this." Paige turned to her nephew. "You said that you'd both decided to leave us out of this. What made you change your mind?"

"Talia...she asked me to tell you. She wanted us to find Josh."

At this mention of her daughter's name Phoebe seemed to collect herself.

"Josh? What happened to Josh after the attack? You said you healed him."

"I did, but... well, he didn't take what happened very well."

Piper snorted at this.  "Who would?"

Phoebe threw her a warning glance before silently encouraging Wyatt to go on.

"He was terrified. He ran away," Wyatt finally said, unhappily. "Talia thinks that there might still be demons after him. We have to find him before something happens to him."

Piper continued to glare, Paige nodded in agreement and Phoebe simply seemed resigned. It was Phoebe who took charge of the situation.

"Piper, Paige, you guys stay here. Search the book for some way we can track Josh. He's a mortal, so that means we can't scry for him, but maybe you can find or write a finder's spell. Wyatt you and I are taking the car. Josh is your friend. Think of places where you think he might have gone."

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As Talia thundered through the dark passageways of the Underworld, demons, warlocks and evil creatures of every sort, cowered in fear.

They all knew that the Source had put a bounty on her head, but none of them dared challenge her as she made her way past them.

A small voice at the back of Talia's mind, congratulated her on her decision to flame first to her room at the Manor and slip into "something a little more comfortable", before flaming to the Underworld. Not only were her boots more comfortable to fight in than those ridiculous heels she had been wearing, but her black cloak and mask clearly marked her for who she was: the Source's daughter; the Princess of All Evil. The residents of this realm were only too familiar with her reputation.

It was obvious from her every movement, that she was in no mood for an interference, and they were all too happy to oblige. Her temper was legendary and no one dared face it. They stayed out of her way, content to watch her in horrified fascination from a distance.

Yet as she made her way through the Source's underground palace, she knew that a confrontation would be inevitable. Strangely enough, she had made her way all the way to the beginning of the corridor that led to the Great Hall, unchallenged; but as she took in the demons standing there, obviously waiting for an audience with the Source, she knew that her luck had ran out.

Her head was raised regally as she started walking down the corridor. She showed absolutely no reaction to their presence there, but inwardly, she finally released the cold fury that had arisen within her at Josh's reaction to her touch, and which she had kept under tight rein since then.

Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams...

She advanced without fear; without passion; towards her enemies. She knew just how the game was played and she kept on walking, refusing to change her pace for them. Her face was nothing but a cold mask, only her eyes shimmered with a scorching fire, screaming out a silent challenge.

I am a traveller of both time and space, to be where I have been…

The nearest demon to her finally gathered up his courage to attack, and threw himself at her. She raised her right arm to block his blow and twisted, as sudden as lightning, to punch him viciously in the kidneys. He doubled over in pain.

She raised her eyes to find that this unsuccessful attack had opened the flood gates, and she steeled herself to meet her many attackers. She wasted no time or effort on words.

All I see turns to brown, as the sun burns the ground
And my eyes fill with sand, as I scan this wasted land
Trying to find, trying to find where I've been...

She ducked to the right to avoid a murderous punch. She grabbed the extended arm in an iron grip and used her attacker's momentum to propel both of them to the side and to throw him, head first, onto the wall on her left. She dumped him unceremoniously then, and he slid down slowly, but she didn't stay there to watch.

Feeling a menacing presence behind her, she twisted raising her right leg in a high kick in the process. The man she was suddenly facing, only just avoided her by stumbling backwards. Leaving him no room for rest, she twirled to bring up her other leg on a second high kick. This time, she only missed his face by barely an inch. The man stumbled backwards again. Faster than he had time to blink, she brought up her foot to yet another high kick, and this time, the steel tip of her boot caught him square on the chin. He flew back on impact, only to land on the floor, a crumpled figure with a broken jaw.

Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace, like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to that place, yellow desert stream...

She was an unstoppable force as she moved through them in a sea of blood and violence.

A fourth man aimed a kick at her. She ducked to the ground to avoid it and counterattacked by sweeping her assailant's foot under him. He lost his balance and fell. Yet even as he was falling, she was already back on her feet and walking past him.

I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high and true, when moving' through Kashmir...

From the corner of her eye she caught a glint of light on metal and turned to her left to stop the lethal arc of a blade aimed at her. The demon brandishing the sword looked in shock, at her bare hands that were gripping the blade between them. The razor sharp edge of the sword caused a trickle of her red blood to form, yet even as he tried to force the blade into its previously appointed trajectory, she stood her ground and he knew he was fighting a loosing battle. In a swift movement, she moved her hands to twist the blade and bury it deep in the stomach of her opponent. He let out a shocked gasp as the realisation of what had just happened to him, finally sunk in. His eyes glazed over and he stumbled backwards clutching the bloody mess that was now his stomach, where the blade was still protruding.

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails, across the sea of years
With no provision but an open face, along the straits of fear...

Talia's stony expression held no reaction whatsoever, as she watched the man fall onto the floor, the shocked expression frozen on his face forever. She turned and continued walking towards the large doors at the end of the corridor. Soon she stood facing the two guards that stood before them. They had watched her advancement along the corridor with horrified apprehension.

The two guards made a nervous motion to stop her.

She raised a single eyebrow that seemed to stop them in their tracks.

With a flick of her right wrist the two guards flew against the wall and with a thud they slid down. A smooth motion from Talia's left hand burst open the heavy doors of the Great Hall, the very place that was the centre of all Evil activity on earth, and the same place that Talia expected to find her father.

She walked confidently through the open doors.

Cole stood at the bottom of the steps that led to the Source's throne, along with Xander, studying a parchment a third demon held out for them.

As the heavy doors of the Great Hall burst open dramatically, he, and the other two demons present, looked up.

Talia walked in as confidently as if she had just walked into the kitchen back at the Manor to see what Piper was cooking.

"Hello Father," she said in a dangerously soft voice.

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Cole raised a surprised eyebrow at her entrance, but his expression remained otherwise neutral.

"Leave us."

His soft, yet cold voice contained the steel quality of command that made what he had just said into an order and left no room for argument.

Xander bowed in respect to the Source, before pushing a too-shocked-to-react-demon that was still holding the parchment he had been showing to them, out of the room. Father and daughter simply stared at each other until Xander closed the large doors to give them some privacy. Only then did Cole speak.

"What the hell are you doing here, Talia? Are you mad? Don't you know how dangerous this is?"

"Oh so now you care about my well being!" she roared, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

He simply glared back.

"Walking into the Underworld after being renounced as a traitor of the Dark Side, is one of the stupidest things you have ever done!" he finally growled. "Are you trying to get yourself killed, Talia?"

Talia narrowed her eyes at him. The disappointment, stress and frustration of the past month finally caught up with her and she exploded.

"What I do with my life, is my business, Father! I honestly thought you could accept that, but I was wrong.

"When I heard that you had put a bounty on my head, I made myself believe that you had no choice as the Source, but to do so. I thought that you still cared for me! That, even though we were on opposing sides, you still wanted me to be happy!

"I convinced myself that you didn't say any of this because you couldn't say it! Because you are the Source, and the Source isn't supposed to care about anything or anyone but himself and the war against Good. I thought I understood the big picture you always talked about, and I thought that you'd be proud if you knew. But most importantly, I honestly thought that in the twisted way our relationship worked, YOU STILL LOVED ME!!"

The Source of All Evil actually took a step backwards. Cole opened his mouth to speak, but Talia's quietly bitter voice stopped him.

"But I was wrong wasn't I? You don't give a damn about what I want! From the moment I walked out of this place, you stopped seeing me as anything but a lost asset. A favourite weapon perhaps...? The Source just wants his perfect little assassin back, doesn't he? And he'll stop at nothing to get her, even if it means killing my friends!"

Cole looked at his daughter who was more distraught than he had ever seen her. He had witnessed her temper before, but it had never been this bad. And it had never been directed at him before.

"What are you talking about Talia?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Father!

"You sent demon bounty hunters after my boyfriend. You didn't give a damn that he was a mortal with no powers to protect himself! You never do! It didn't matter to you that it would kill me if something happened to him because of me, did it? My mental and emotional well being would just have to be collateral damage; as always, I'd have to take a back seat to the greater Evil!

"What was it that you said again, Father? 'Once he's dead she'll get the message??  Her hanging around with mortals is hazardous to their health??'

"Yes that's right! I heard you father! And you thought I'd come back?

"Honestly Father, did you really think I wouldn't find out all about your little plan?"

Father and daughter remained oddly silent after Talia's tirade. Talia was breathing heavily and there was fire in her eyes. Cole's face was a blank mask. It was he that eventually interrupted the silence. When he finally spoke, his voice was oddly quiet and unemotional.

"Talia, calm down...

"Believe me when I say that I haven't the faintest idea of what you are talking about. I'm almost certain that I never sent anyone after any of your friends. And if I did, I certainly never knew that they were your friends. You know how things work here. Now calm down and tell me what happened."

But Cole's soft-spoken words only served to fuel Talia's anger.

"Don't fool around with me father! You know what I'm talking about." Her voice was raw with emotion. Hurt and betrayal filled her eyes, "but I'll humour you."

"About a month ago, I caught two of your lackeys - low-level demons the both of them - at a school football game, of all things! They said you sent them after a mortal boy called Josh. They didn't know of my connection to him.

"But I know you know about my relationship with Josh. I've caught Valdis spying on me, and he confessed that it was under your orders. I couldn't help asking myself, if those two facts where connected.

"I decided to do a bit of spying on my own. You do remember how good I am at that, don't you father? And I found out that there was a contract out in the Underworld, on Josh. A very secretive contract with a rather large reward...the kind you like to put out when you want it to look like you had no connection with the hit.

"Everything was pointing at you ordering my boyfriend's death because of my connection to him. And still I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

"But then I overheard you this morning. You were talking to a demon called Remos in an alley near the manor. You told him to hurry the plan up. To make sure that the bounty hunters killed him on the first attempt. To take advantage of the element of surprise...to make it look like an accident during the fight. You knew how guilty that would make me feel. You thought I'd come back to the Underworld, to you, rather than risk any more of my friends getting hurt."

She watched him through narrowed eyes, having worked herself back up.

"Talia I promise you. None of this happened."

She threw him an incredulous look.

"Are you saying that I'm making this entire thing up? That I'm lying?

"I saw you! I heard you order his death!"

Cole let sincerity colour his words.

"Talia, I haven't left the Underworld all day today."

She wasn't buying any of it. Hadn't he been the one who taught her how to play the game?

"There's no use denying Father. I hoped you would at least have the decency to admit it, but I guess I was wrong...again!"

"Talia..."

"No! Consider this is, a warning, father. I am NEVER going to come back to the Underworld. Especially not after this! And if you EVER do anything to hurt my friends again, I'll come after you and I will hunt you down!

"I'll vanquish you the way the Charmed Ones never could, and this time, there'll be no way back, father! I promise you."

And with those words Talia stormed out of the Great Hall leaving behind her a very confused and speechless Cole.

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A/N: Yuck! I am officially disgusted by myself!

I was so pleased with the way the last chapter turned out, that I wrote half of this one on the same day. I was happy with how Talia's fight to get to the Great Hall, came out, but then... it was like I hit a brick wall! When it came to the peak scene in this chapter, I choked. I don't know how else to describe it. Call it writer's block, or an end to inspiration, but I just couldn't do the argument between Talia and Cole! That's why it took me so long to write this chapter.

The whole thing wasn't Cole's fault, but Talia doesn't know that. She feels betrayed and hurt and angry, but I had no idea of what she should say. She ended up blowing up on me, saying things that she knows aren't true and just letting off steam. But, however I rationalized her behaviour, I just couldn't see her lift a hand against her father – yet. Hopefully once I get my head round it, there'll be even more action to come. I don't think Perdicus and his cronies will be pleased with the outcome of their little plot so far, so, unfortunately, I predict even more torment for Talia. And as for Wyatt and the Charmed Ones...it's not like them to stay on the sidelines.