ACT III

Chris noted the serious look on Paige's face. "Okay, what's up?" he asked.

Paige hesitated for a moment. What was she doing? How could she betray her sisters like this? Maybe if Paige had honestly felt that bringing Prue back was wrong, then telling Chris would be okay. However, Paige knew that that wasn't the real reason. She couldn't betray anyone like this, especially not Piper and Phoebe. No matter what happened.

"Oh, uh..." Paige racked her brain to try to think of a good answer as to why she had called Chris. "Um... it's just that I wanted to, uh, apologize for how rude Piper was. It was totally uncalled for."

Chris looked at her for a moment. "That's not what you called me down here for. You said you needed my help."

"Uh, yeah! I need your help in... getting Piper to get used to you. She's still missing Leo so it just might take some time. But I'm sure you already know that."

Chris continued to look at her in disbelief.

"Well, maybe it would be a better idea to leave this until tomorrow," Paige continued, hoping Chris was buying it. "Don't wanna keep you from your other charges... if you even have any." Paige had never thought about this before. "Do you?"

"You know what, Paige? It's kinda late so if you don't need me for anything..."

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Good night. Orb safely... and look both ways or whatever."

"Yeah, I'll do that" Chris replied slowly, suspecting that something was not right with Paige. "I'll be sure to do that." He orbed out.

Paige breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that she hadn't told Chris about Kevin. But would she come to regret that decision later?

Paige didn't get much sleep that night. As she tossed and turned all night, she kept having horrible dreams

A demon was attacking Paige at the manor in the living room. Paige tried to orb out as the demon inched his way closer too her, but her powers weren't working.

"Help!" Paige cried out.

But the sisters were too busy laughing and looking at photo albums to even notice what was going on.

The demon made its way closer to Paige. She could see its claws coming closer and closer to her face.

"Help!" Paige cried again. She could almost smell the demon's surely nasty breath on her face.

This time Phoebe looked up. She took in the scene with Paige and the demon, but went back to the album when Prue pointed out a picture of all three of them in front of the manor.

"Phoebe! Please help!" Paige pleaded.

Phoebe looked up at Paige again while Piper and Prue continued looking at the photo album. "You don't really expect us to help you, do you?" Phoebe asked. "Why should we? You're not part of our family. Plus, this solves our problem perfectly. Now we can go back to the real Power of Three."

"Hey, Phoebe," Prue said. She held the photo album in front of Phoebe's face. "Just look at yourself in this picture."

Phoebe looked then started giggling. "Oh my God. Is that me? I looked seriously jacked up." All three of them started laughing again.

The demon raised his claws above Paige. Paige knew death was near. The demon quickly brought them down again and...

Paige woke up suddenly, in a sweat. Her breathing was hard and ragged. The dream had seemed so real to her, even though she knew that, no matter what happened, Piper and Phoebe would never abandon her like that.

Paige calmed down. It's just a dream, she told herself. Nothing to worry about.

Paige lay back down and tried to go back to sleep, "tried" being the key word. Paige just couldn't get herself to go back to sleep.

Should I start looking for my own apartment? she asked herself. Honestly, it wouldn't be so bad to have my own place again. That cheered Paige up, if only just a little. Paige admitted to herself that it did work her nerves a little always having to tell where she's going and when she's coming back. I'll finally be able to live on my own. It was bound to come anyway, even with Prue gone. After all, we are three grown women who will eventually be married, hopefully, with families of our own. There's no way we could live together then.

Maybe a break from witchcraft would be just what Paige needed. Sometimes, it seemed as if with all the demons and warlocks they came up against, Paige never had time to do things for herself. Having a job, for instance. Or dating. Or even just going out with friends. When's the last time Paige went out with some of her old girlfriends? Or even called them? Ever since she became a witch, it seemed sometimes like the only friends she had were Piper and Phoebe. There was nothing wrong with that; Piper and Phoebe were the greatest friends and sisters anyone could ever have and Paige loved them both. Nevertheless, maybe it was just time for Paige to get out and have what those wacky people call a life. Who knows? Maybe this whole thing was a blessing in disguise. Perhaps it wasn't Paige's destiny to be a witch. And who could argue with destiny?

Paige sighed. This looking on the bright side thing did not help at all. If anything, it made Paige see that even though all these things might be true, Paige didn't care. She was probably the happiest she had ever been in her life. She loved being a witch. Most importantly, she loved having sisters.

Paige rolled over and commanded herself to stop thinking, and go to sleep.

The sisters orbed into P3 the next morning. They weren't sure when to meet Kevin there because he hadn't specified a time.

"You would think that a guy like him would actually tell him what time to meet him here," Phoebe commented.

"Something tells me that he would probably know anyway," Piper replied.

"And right you are," Kevin agreed. He stepped out from the shadows. "No wonder you're the oldest. Well, you were the oldest, anyway. That's all about to change."

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige weren't sure what to say to that. They still couldn't believe what was about to happen.

"Well, why don't you guys sit down?" Kevin suggested.

"No, thanks," Piper replied. "Let's just skip the pleasantries and get the facts."

Kevin looked at them for a moment. "All right, then."

Without anyone else being aware, Chris orbed into a corner of the club where he could watch and listen without being seen or heard.

Kevin started, "Pietro is a demon who works for the Source. Well, I guess worked would be a better term. Anyway, what he stole from me is a very powerful mystical object that happens to belong to me. Now what it does, I can't say. But what I can say is that it is very dangerous in the wrong hands."

"How do we know his hands are the wrong hands?" Piper asked.

Kevin smiled. "You don't, do you?"

Phoebe started to get a sinking feeling that they were making a big mistake. Kevin noted the doubtful look on her face. "Look, I'm not evil. The object stolen from me used to belong to my father. All I want is it back." The sisters still looked doubtful. "Besides, even if I am lying, I'm sure that you and your white lighter would find some way to vanquish me. You are the Charmed Ones, after all. Do you really think I'm so stupid as to take that chance?"

Part of Piper still didn't believe Kevin. But an even bigger part of her didn't care.

"Fine," she answered. "How do we find Pietro?"

"Well, I think Phoebe would know the way to his place the best." Phoebe looked up at him in surprise. "Considering the fact that she used to live there," he continued.

"What are you talking about?" Paige asked.

"The Source's place. But you guys know him better as Cole."

"Pietro is living in Cole's old place?" Phoebe questioned.

"Yes. And before you go there, I suggest you have a potion and spell ready. Do you still have some of Cole's flesh in your freezer?"

"Yeah," Piper answered, surprised. "How did you-?"

"Pietro belongs to the Brotherhood. You can use that potion against him. When you have my object back, meet me back at the cemetery where Prue is buried." And with that, he shimmered out.

"Piper, do you really think we're doing the right thing?" Phoebe asked.

Piper sighed. "I don't really-"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chris interrupted. He stepped out of the shadows.

The sisters stared at him. "Have you been listening to us this whole time?" Piper asked, her eyes flashing.

"Yes, and a good thing I was. Frankly, I didn't think you guys were so stupid as to make a deal with a demon. What could possibly possess you to agree to help him?"

Piper glared angrily at him, not answering. But Paige piped up. "He said he could bring Prue back."

Chris stared at them, disbelievingly. "What? You made a deal with a demon to bring Prue back? How do you know he will even keep up his offer?"

Piper started to answer, but Chris interrupted her again. "Even if he did, it is not your place to mess with life and death. I thought you knew better than that."

Piper was tired of the scolding. All it did was help to strengthen Piper's resolve to carry out the deal.

"Look," she started, "this is our deal, not yours. So I would very much like it if you just kept out of our business."

Chris glared at her. "Fine. I can see you all are too stubborn to listen to what I have to say. From now on, you're on your own." He orbed out.

The sisters headed back home to make the potion, then, orbed back into Phoebe and Cole's former bedroom in their apartment. As she looked around the room, Phoebe could barely believe how much things had changed since she had moved in here with Cole, a little more than a year ago.

"Maybe we should've listened to what Chris said," Paige whispered. "He is our whitelighter, after all."

Phoebe looked at Paige. "Paige, he was trying to tell us not to go through with the deal."

Paige sighed. She needed to get this off her chest. "Maybe we shouldn't." Piper and Phoebe both looked at Paige in shock. "Maybe what we're doing is wrong. All because we're witches doesn't give us the right to mess with life and death."

Before either Phoebe or Piper could reply, someone swung the door to the bedroom open. It was the other guy from the night before, Pietro.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, angrily.

"No time for introductions," Piper replied. Phoebe threw the potion at Pietro's feet. He started screaming and burst into flames, then, disintegrated into dust.

As the girls walked out of the bedroom, Phoebe commented, "I hope there are no more of the Brotherhood out there anymore. We have no more Cole flesh."

The sisters stopped in their tracks. In the living room, there were scores of demons, all looking at them, menacingly.

"Uh-oh," Piper said.

END OF ACT III