Chapter 9

"Piper watch out!" Phoebe called out to her sister above the noise in the cave. Piper turned just and waved her hands just in time to freeze the fireball and inch from her face. She stepped aside and pushed an unaware demon in front of it as it unfroze. She watched as he burst into flames.

Paige was not far from Piper and she was handling the demons expertly, sending arrows and various forms of energy balls back to their senders. She was caught momentarily off guard when Phoebe had called out to Piper, worried about her sister, she turned to look and see if she could help. A demon blinked in behind her and grabbed her by the throat.
Phoebe, seeing this channelled his power and formed and energy ball in her hand before plunging it into his back.

"Thanks Pheebs!" Paige gasped trying to catch her breath

"Thank later. Vanquish now!" Phoebe replied, sending another channelled energy ball in the direction of some soon to be dead demon.

Chris, intrigued by the sound of the commotion outside his hiding place, peered out and looked around the cave. His eyes fell on the sight of the demon Zeric shimmer in behind Piper. Scared, because his Mom didn't notice, he concentrated on the other side of the cave like he had been thought by Leo and orbed in behind Zeric. He focused, as much as a five year old possibly could, and waved his hand and effortlessly sent Zeric flying across the room.

Piper spun around at the sound of Zeric hitting the wall near her. She looked down and saw Chris looking pretty happy with himself.

"Chris! Did you do that sweetie?" Piper asked looking amazed.

"Uh huh. Mommy, where's Daddy?" he asked, looking around expectantly, wanting to tell Leo what he just did.

"Chris, weren't you with Daddy?" Piper sounded worried.

"No, he told me to wait in this place, and he walked away and I haven't seen him since Mommy" he looked up at Piper.

Piper looked around the cave; she couldn't see Leo anywhere. "Maybe he's trying to find a way out and he was going to get Chris out of there..." she thought, trying not to worry. "Chris, sweetie, will you go back to where you were hiding again? For Mommy?"

Chris sighed and gave in. A look of concentration crossed his face and he orbed out.

Piper smiled, proud of her son, and stared at Zeric on the floor. She glanced around the room and saw the Paige had just vanquished one of the last few demons. Three other shimmered out in fear as Phoebe and Paige advanced on them. Phoebe and Paige turned around and walked over to Piper. Zeric, surrounded by the most powerful witches in the world, looked slightly panicked.

"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this!! That little brat!"

Piper, annoyed by this, froze his body, and unfroze his head.

"Don't you dare call my son a brat" Piper spat and blew up one of his arms. Zeric screamed in pain.

Paige smiled sarcastically. " I think all the other demons would be thrilled to hear that a 5 year old got the better of you in the end. Don't you think?"

"Oh we'll see who has the last laugh. Believe me." He looked up at them, with a glint in his eyes. The freeze wore off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Phoebe asked wary.

"Just a little something to do with your whitelighter, or should I say; Ex-whitelighter" He grinned and TKed the vanquishing potion at himself. They watched with various looks of shock on their faces as he erupted in flames. Piper was the first to speak.

"Leo! Leo!" she called out. "Oh god, Leo please answer me!" Piper, panicked, ran in all directions looking for him. Phoebe and Paige trailed after her, trying to calm her down. They rounded a corner, and looking down, saw Leo's body on the ground.

"Leo! Oh no, oh please!" she cried, falling to the ground beside him, tears streaming down her face.

Phoebe and Paige looked on in silence, staring at the two arrows that had pierced his chest.

"P-Piper, maybe if we get him home...or take him to the hospital..." Phoebe started.

"No, it's too late..." Piper whimpered. Just then, Chris decided to come out of his hiding place.

"Mommy, is the demon gone?" He asked, but then looked down and saw Leo. "Dad.." he whispered. "Daddy...? Dad wake up. Please?"

Chris and Leo watched the scene unfold from above. Chris closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Paige, I think now would be a good time to say what you're thinking..." he said to himself.