Thank you to everyone that has reviewed this story, especially the people that have commented more than once. I really appreciate the support and I am almost ashamed to admit quite how thrilled I get when I receive a review alert. All of the constructive comments are valid and I have tried to address the points raised, particularly the explanation for Piper's behaviour which I wouldn't have thought to include otherwise. Finally Willow,– not sure about history repeating itself yet, I've got 2 vague endings in my head, but as this story pretty much seems to be going where ever it wants I'm in the dark too.



"Piper did you break them?"

The three elders stand deep in contemplation, eyes closed, totally absorbed by the 100's of voices that swirl around their collective conscious, fading in and out, blended yet individual, somehow each voice heard and attended.

This was not supposed to happen. How dare they challenge us? Leo would not welcome this. Our responsibilities are to more than just Leo. We are too weak to battle the Charmed ones at the moment. Why would we want to? They are just mortals. Mortals that defeated the Titans. And the Source. Why would they try to fight us? We are trying to help. The power from the boy is staggering. Perhaps Gideon was right. They need our help. No, we need their help. They cannot be allowed to dictate. Enough.

The elders' eyes open, and the first elder opens his arms exuding benevolence and calm. "We come in friendship. It is our desire to work with you, assist you."

Seventeen years of accumulated resentment bubble over in Piper. "Yeah? Then where were you 2 days ago when he went missing 'friend?' And when exactly was I going to receive my MIA telegram?" Piper's bitterness is palpable. "You would not even be here now if we had not found him, if you did not need him. You are too late; we don't need your assistance. We never did."

The elders re-commune.

Phoebe edges next to Paige and whispers nervously "Err, Do we need them?"

"Dunno - Book of Shadows" It orbs into her hands and she quickly flicks through it until she finds Riama

"Okey dokey. Innovative demon........ masks auras.......... can wipe minds..... likes to work with humans, yep, definitely sounds like our boy."

What about Leo "Is there anything to restore his mind",

"blah, blah, blah ok here it is, there is a restoration potion, ooh and even notes on a vanquish - I love this book" She slams it shut. "So, in answer to your question I'd say nope" She turns to the elders who have just reopened their eyes.

"We'll okay then. Nice of you boys to drop by, but you heard the lady. Times a ticking and the question you've got to ask yourself is, do you want to waste ours while we whip your asses, or, do you wanna get out of the way and let us stop the bad guy" she stands with her head on one side and a perky smile on her face "Your whitelighters, your choice, both options work for me"

The elders look at them regretfully and orb out.

Paige shouts after them "Don't be strangers "then to the others "Well I thought they'd never leave".

They stare at each other for a moment, trying to process what just happened, before they automatically click into their well-honed demon hunting mode. After discussing the entry in the book Piper turns to Chris "You found him at a regular hospital right?" He nods "Is it safe, safe for you to go back and show Paige, no demons, no danger?"

"No nothing"

She looks at Paige who responds "Research, I'm on it"

"Paige...."

"It's OK Piper, I promise I won't let anything happen to your little boy, I wouldn't dare" Chris scowls at the reference but accepts her outstretched hand and they leave.

Phoebe takes the Book of Shadows "I'm potions" and makes for the kitchen, then stops, looks at Piper for a moment and returns to take the vacuous Leo by the hand, "Come on chatty, I could use the company".

Wyatt, who is uncomfortably conscious of his mother's eye on him, tries to follow her.. Piper stops him with. "Not so fast mister"

He slinks back, trying to keep his back turned away from her and Excalibur hidden.

She raises her eyebrow "Well?" and waits.

He puts his head on one side and smiles at her ingratiatingly, looking so like his father she could laugh, "We did save Dad"

"And that would be the reason that you are standing here and not grounded in your room"

"Its ok Mom, I was there to protected him"

"And who was there to protect you?"

She sighs, unable to go through with it, a voice at the back of her head saying "Is this how you want him to remember you?" and he is amazed when instead of lecturing him she just pulls him close. "You do know how proud I am of you, how much I love you?" Something in her tone scares him and he squeezes her tight. "I need you to promise me something, I need you to promise me that you will always look after your brother, that you will never " she can't bring herself to say hurt him "let anything bad happen to him"

He pulls back, "Mom is something wrong?"

"No more than normal. Do you promise?"

The conversation is making him uneasy, but he can tell that this is important to her "Ok. I promise"

She touches his hair "Now go and help Phoebe. Oh and Wyatt, if that sword is not back in its stone in 5 minutes you will be in trouble, big trouble" He grins, now that was more like it.

He happily joins his aunt in the kitchen, and Phoebe who can imagine his encounter with Piper, sympathetically touches his shoulder in welcome, only to be hit by a premonition that leaves her gasping.

When they orb back to the Clinic the difference strikes Chris immediately, gone is the air of professional calm; panic and desperation are everywhere. "Wow, I guess these guys really want Dad".

He hesitates "Do you think you'll have to vanquish them"

Paige is looking at a brochure she has picked up and says distractedly "Who, honey, the doctors and nurses?"

"No the Elders, I mean after..."

She turns to him, laughing "Oh I wouldn't worry about that, if we had to vanquish everyone that pissed your Mom off it would be a pretty empty world" she adds teasingly "Oh, I forgot that you're an active whitelighter now, think it might affect your promotion chances?"

"NO! Its just, its just they're the good guys too, right? I don't know why she was so mad, they only wanted to help"

"Its complicated, I guess she's been mad at them for a long, long time and their trying to take Leo away again, just after she'd got him back, that's bad timing on a Cosmic scale....she hesitates "Your Moms just got a lot on her mind at the moment, I think maybe she needed to let them know how she felt about things while she...well, while she had the opportunity." Her tone changes, gets lighter, "I mean, its not like they pop by for feedback often. Anyway I wouldn't worry about it, your Dad will talk her around, he always does"

Before he could delve deeper she says quickly, "They have clinics all over the U.S. and it says here that they can apparantley cure just about anything for the right price. Results guaranteed, fancy that." She looks at a picture of the CEO in the brochure "I'm thinking that Mr Montague Cavendish III, probably has something to hide."

"Do you think he's the demon"

"He doesn't look like one, but with a name like that who knows"

"Why would a demon want to heal humans?"

"Well, at these prices we are probably not talking worthy widows and orphans, so I'm guessing you can take your pick from power, influence, cover money or even my own personal favourite, the Faustian soul clause" She looked at him thoughtfully "Is there any point in my telling you to go home now" he shakes his head "Thought not. OK the deal is you go were I go, you do what I say and most important of all when I say 'orb' you go home immediately, no questions asked. Got it?" He nods and they set off to find Cavendish's office.

Its an impressive suite, oozing with success and opulence, an expensive collection of porcelain is attractively displayed and at one end there is a huge screen. Paige looks around wondering where to start, "OK, you filing cabinets. Me computer". However before they can begin investigating they are disturbed by the sound of running footsteps approaching. Paige looks at Chris "Orb. Now" and as the door opens she becomes invisible.

A portly and visibly frightened Cavendish hurries into the room, before he has closed the door he calls out "RIAMA". The screen flickers to life and reveals a grid of faces, most of which look anxious. Cavendish's own scared face appears in a frame at the bottom. Displayed at the centre, in a much bigger box, is a demon, obviously furious. "Can I assume that you did not make it to the beginning of this meeting because you have now found the healer?"

Hardly able to speak Cavendish manages to whispers "No" There is a general outcry from the occupants of the other boxes. Riama glares. "Silence. You speak when I give permission," he turns back to Cavendish. "You will see Cavendish that our esteemed associates are a touch upset. They believe that through your negligence, their own healers may soon also be rescued, leaving them, if they are lucky, only in professional ruin and personal destitution, in my opinion they....."

Cavendish sees a glimmer of hope and eagerly interrupts "He wasn't rescued"

RAIMA stops "Are you sure, it will, of course, mean death if you lie to me"

Cavendish frantically thinks it will mean death if I don't. "I am sure, one of our security guards became ill, he attacked, well bit, some people, in the confusion the healer managed to wander away. We have people out looking for him now, its only a matter of time I swear" Sweat is pouring off him.

"Would you be willing to wager your life on this?

What else can he say. "Yes" He sounds confident,

RAIMA looks thoughtful "Fortunately for you, my sources confirm that he is not with the elders, so your tale could be true. You have 24 hours, we will reconvene then for" he smiles "an update. End"

The screen goes blank and Cavendish sits with his head in his hands.

Paige quietly orbs out.
Later that evening Piper sits on the bed, deep in thought, oblivious to Leo's eyes upon her. Was she thinking about tomorrow's vanquish? Chris's birthday? Her past? Her sons? Their future? Her death? No! Whatever else happened she wasn't going to die. He wouldn't allow it.

Unable to bear to see her so alone, even in thought, he joins her, groaning heavily as he sits by her side. "Do you realise that I am over 90 years old? I think that evil kidnappers should have more consideration for the elderly"

She takes his hand and smiles. For a while they sit there, just content to be together.

"Don't you have to go and report, " she points upwards "to them"

He looks at her levelly, "Why would I need to do that when I apparently am yours. 100% yours, I think was the expression. She turns away amused and slightly mortified muttering "Oh. So you caught that then"

" Uh-huh" He is entertained by her embarrassment. "If its any consolation I think that you scared them"

She smiles triumphantly "Good" then adds more slowly "I think they will find that I'm not totally unreasonable"

He raises his eyebrows "No?"

She gets up and after examining him carefully she finally takes the little finger of his left hand "They can have this. Yes, I think I could, at great personal sacrifice, spare this as long as I get to keep these" releasing the finger she tenderly takes his head in her hands and kisses each eyelid, "and this" she kisses the top of his nose "and definitely this" she murmurs as she moves down to his mouth.

At last she breaks away and he smiles up at her lovingly, smoothing a lock of hair from her face. "Anything else?"

She grins before gently pushing him back on the bed "Oh I'm sure that I'll find something"

..........

He wakes suddenly to find her looking at him, a sad expression on her face and he wonders if she slept at all. "Mmmmmmmm morning" He gently strokes her cheek. "Have I told you just how much I missed you?"

She laughs "I believe you made that very clear last night"

"Are you sure? Because I think it's important that these things are known and if necessary I am perfectly willing to 'miss' you some more right now."

"Oh really, well if you're certain its not too much trouble" they smile at each other, then his smile fades as he receives a call. Piper recognises the familiar expression and kisses him lightly. "Its ok, I need to get started on today's vanquish anyway.
Leo orbs into the attic where Phoebe is pacing nervously. "Its about time Leo"

"What's so urgent? Is it one of the boys?"

Phoebe looks at him apprehensively. "I think that you are going to need to sit down".