"That cannot be" Jay whispered as he saw the image before him. All the Elders were looking through a large orb. They often watched and tuned into moments between Whitelighters and their charges. Jay saw as Paige's new charge shimmered out.

"A demon?" many of them whispered "We would have sensed.." another said "It's impossible" exclaimed Jake

Jay glanced at Nina who did not seem to be bewildered at all.

Jay smiled. "Nina, your thoughts?"

All the Elders looked at the interaction between Jay and Nina. Nina was usually the most quiet of them all, but with this new player, they all needed answers from her.

"She is exquisite, isn't she?" Nina said in admiration. Jay chuckled.

"Hardly" he paused, wondering what to ask, "You knew she was a demon?"

"I never knew you were so unintelligent" Nina smiled "who did you think so was?"

"I.. uh.." he stuttered

Nina looked at Paige's expression. She was obviously as baffled as the ones around her. "The daughter of a demon. And a quite a.." she paused as she thought of the right word "unique demon at that".

"We cannot have a demon as a charge" Jay spat, "it is not what we do" "What do we do, my dearest Jay?" Nina said

"We work on the side of good. We aide witches destroy evil"

"It's funny" Nina replied "That you use the word evil, not demon"

All the Elders were silent.

She moved her head to the side softly. It was a habit she did when she pondered serious situations. "I think she suits our needs"

"What are our needs?" Jay exploded

Nina and Jay glared at each other, as the other Elders didn't even dare speak. All of them turned as an orbed formed.

Paige's figure formed from the blue and white orbs. Nina smiled.

--

"I am so excited for Paige" Phoebe gushed, "I mean what else can it be? She has her first charge" Piper grinned. "I can't wait until she tells us all about her".

Leo laughed, "Well you'll be waiting a while" Piper's expression changed "What do you mean?" "No Whitelighter can talk about their charges," he said "We're her sisters!" Phoebe complained, "Can't there be an exception?" "Since when do the Elders make exceptions?" Leo laughed, "She might not even be getting a charge"

They saw Paige orb in.

"How'd it go?" Phoebe asked "You got a charge, didn't you?"

Paige nodded. "Can't talk about it though" she said making a face "stupid rules"

"I need to talk to Leo though," Paige said dragging him away from her sisters. Piper and Phoebe immediately protested. Paige poked her tongue out at them as she left the room.

"You can't talk about it, Paige, you know the rules" "They said I could. You're to be my mentor"

Leo went silent. Whitelighter mentors had to have at least a century of experience. The Elders were bending rules, and that always showed desperation.

Leo spotted Piper and Phoebe listening in. As soon as they saw he had seen them they ducked out of site.

"I think we better go to your room," he said.

Paige laughed. "Well if they accidentally hear then I'm not telling them, I can't get in trouble."

When they walked into her room Paige picked up a photograph. "Not even two years ago I was struggling to orb" she said, smiling "now I have a charge. How can that be?"

Leo shrugged and sat on her bed. "So who is it?"

Paige sighed. "Not poster material for a first charge. Quote, If he wasn't so fond of your sister you would be dead, unquote". Paige rolled her eyes. "They just had to get me the psychotic one"

"She threatened you?"

"Oh, in the nicest possible way" Paige laughed "She shimmered, Leo. Why would they assign me to a demon?"

Leo was surprised. How'd that get past Jay? A demon? "I don't know" he admitted "Though I would say you have to get respect, maybe even trust"

"How do I do that?" she asked

Leo frowned. "Help her, I guess. Be on guard and if she has trouble with supernatural, help her"

"She's a demon, Leo. What if her supernatural trouble is a witch trying to vanquish her?" Paige demanded "Help her then?"

--

Cole groaned as the lights were switched on. He tried to hide the bottle in his hand; he knew how much she detested alcohol. Not quick enough, however.

Max just stood there and glared at him. She walked over and snatched the bottle out of his hand.

"Max. I didn't have much" he defended himself "Then why are your words slurred?" she asked him softly "You're drunk"

Cole was confused. He didn't know Max that well, but he knew her enough. He expected her to be really angry. She looked at him, but she looked more disappointed then angry.

"I can't do this," she muttered and she smashed the bottle on the wall. He jumped on impact.

"You just don't care. About anything" she mumbled to herself as she walked out.

"Max! Wait!" he called out and stumbled after her. "I care about you," he said.

"No you don't," she snapped and then she was gone.

Cole had more of it, but he didn't dare go get it. He was just confused. He wanted the pain to go away. The pain numbed when he was drinking. He just wanted it all to go away.

Max's words stung, and his head swirled with thoughts. He did care about her. She was the only reason he hadn't given up on life.

Or had he? he asked himself.

--

Paige instantly remembered about her new charge as she woke up. Piper had told her about when Leo and her had switched powers; Piper could hear his charges in her head. She focused and could hear what Max was saying. It was strange, as it was a one sided conversation, she couldn't hear anyone else Max was talking to.

Paige was quiet at breakfast, she was thinking. How do you communicate with someone who doesn't even like you? At least she's honest Paige thought.

Yeah, brutally honest.

Paige replayed the scene in her mind again. Her thoughts halted.

"If he wasn't so fond of your sister.."

If who wasn't so fond of her sister?

Paige excused herself and orbed out.

--

"I'm sorry Max" Cole said over the breakfast table "I just wanted--"

"What did you want?" she snapped

"Max" Cole pleaded, "Do we have to fight?"

"I know what you think of it. It makes the pain go away, right? It doesn't. It feeds on your pain" she paused "I'm not angry. I just want you to understand. I can't stress enough that you need to keep away from it". He nodded.

Her eyes widened as she saw an orb form behind him. She cursed as she saw it was Paige. Cole turned around.

"Just what I need" he muttered

Paige's mouth dropped open. "We.. we killed you!"

Cole rolled his eyes. "Try harder next time"

"Don't think we wont!" Paige snapped. She sighed as she remembered why she was there. "Max. I wanted to see if you were okay"

"Why wouldn't you be?" Cole asked her.

"I think you should ask the extremely dumb Whitelighter that. I told you to stay away from me!" she said, glaring at Paige.

Paige bit her lip. It wasn't supposed to go like this. Her first work as a Whitelighter and she was failing miserably.

"What are you doing here anywhere?" she asked "mingling with him?"

Max laughed. "I live here" she made a face "Of course if that's okay with your precious Elders"

"Live here? That's going a bit fast to move in with your new boyfriend after a couple of days". Even Cole had to sport a bit of a smile. "She's my daughter, Paige".

Paige almost didn't believe it. "What?"

Max laughed. "And I'm looking after him". "Which I don't need," he reminded her. "You need to go to work today" she insisted. "You're late" "I can decide for myself--" "If you're going to be fired?" she asked innocently

"I hate you, you know. Always trying to control me". He grabbed his plate and put it away. "And I hate it even more when you're right". Max poked her tongue out slightly. "I'm always right. You'll learn," she told him.

Cole gave a small smile. He then walked into his bedroom to get ready.

"Seems to be doing okay" Paige said, "Considering his wife nearly killed him" Max glared. "Which wont happen again" "Oh, it will" Paige said "He's a demon and we will vanquish him." "Even if it's the last thing you do?" Max asked sweetly.

"Something like that" Paige replied. She suddenly realised she was making Max more an enemy when she should have been trying to be friends.

"I'm your Whitelighter, Max," she said, sitting down at the table. "Is there anything you need?" "I need you to get out of my face" Max laughed. "But I'm guessing your as stubborn as the tales say" Max sneered. "Actually there is something. "Goysen. Where can I get that?"

"What are you cooking up?" Paige laughed "Something explosive?" "No, not at all. Just something powerful" "What is it?" "None of your business" she said glaring. "I asked a question. Will you answer it or not?"

Goysen was rarely referred to in the Book of Shadows for the simple reason it was too dangerous. It could be bought at a local store, hat was no secret. Cole probably even knew. If she refused to answer, Max would find out anyway.

"Help her.."

Leo's words echoed in her head.

Paige took a breath and smiled. "A little shop downtown sells it cheap. I can take you there if you like"

Max knew what she was doing. Trying to get her trust. In fact, the only reason she asked is because she knew Paige would answer for that simple fact. "That would be nice" Max said, grabbing her bag.

--

Paige was in a bad mood. It was a I-know-you-know-and-you-know-I-know situation. They both knew Max was using her. And Max was way too nice to her. In a fake kind of way. They both hated each other.

She slammed down her bag on the counter. Both Piper and Phoebe looked up. They knew she was in a bad mood just by her expression.

Phoebe closed her laptop.

"Rough day?" she asked

"The worst" Paige wondered what she could tell them. I mean the rule was not to talk about her charge, not the charge's family, right?

"Cole's alive," she said simply. Both of her sisters looked up at her.

"No.." Piper muttered, "You said you killed him" "I did" Paige admitted, "and by theory he should be dead"

They both looked at Phoebe who was looking pale. "Why doesn't he ever die?" she asked softly.

"I dunno, hun," Piper said hugging Phoebe. "It'll be okay. I promise"

"We have to vanquish him," Paige said. Piper nodded.

"It's useless" Phoebe said exasperated. She mumbled something incoherent and went up to her room. Neither Paige nor Piper dared to follow her.

Phoebe just flopped on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I just want him to be gone," she whispered.

Flashes of images crossed her mind. Some of them were passed events, some were former nightmares. She groaned loudly.

"Why me?" she cursed.

He affected her more then she cared to admit. She wanted him gone. She wanted to move on.

Do I want to vanquish him because he's evil? Or because it's easier to move on if he's dead?

She didn't know the answer. She didn't know if anyone knew the answer.