Disclaimer: None of these people are my personal creations. Except Pamela. And I do not comprehend the human minds well enough (YET) to effectively characterize a child, but I'm working on it.
A/N: Okay, usually, I don't do this, but I got a review I felt it necessary to reply to.
Rebkos: Unfortunately, I haven't watched enough X-Files to know the characters, but that would be cool to add them in!
The whole episode had taken less than twenty minutes to sort out and develop into an awkward lull. Vaughn thought it might have been easier if he could have said the only thing he could think: here, right in front of him, was his child.
The girl was a mirror image of Pru. Hair, face, build, everything just as Pru would have looked at twelve. The only difference was Pamela's sharp green eyes, Vaughn's own eyes. He found himself mesmerized by those eyes.
"What are you looking at?" Pamela asked, breaking the spell.
"Uh…nothing," he murmured, looking away.
Sydney stepped deftly between Vaughn and Pamela, one hand on Vaughn's arm and the other on Pamela's back, and herded them toward the kitchen.
"Piper, didn't you say there were some chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen?" Sydney hinted.
"Oh, yeah," Piper said, urging Pamela to follow as she turned toward the kitchen. "Would you like a snack, or something to drink?"
Paige followed, as did Phoebe after giving Sydney a quick grin. It didn't take an empath to know she wanted a minute alone with Vaughn.
"She's beautiful," Sydney said quietly.
"I almost can't believe it," Vaughn said, still looking past the door through which Pamela had disappeared. "She looks just like Pru."
"Vaughn…you know you can't tell her that," Sydney warned carefully.
"I know. I just wish I…"Vaughn trailed off as an evil looking man sort of shimmered into the living room behind Sydney.
Sydney turned, then screamed when a fireball appeared in their visitor's hand. The fireball came at them and hit Vaughn in the shoulder, spinning him around and flipping him over the couch they'd been standing in front of.
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige, followed closely by Pamela--who'd been warned to stay put, of course--scrambled into the room, just as the demon--or warlock, or whatever the hell he was--was about to throw a fireball at Sydney.
"Fireball," Paige yelled just before it hit Sydney, then directed it back at its origin.
Piper tried to blow him up at the same time the fireball hit, and it did very little damage. The creature shimmered again, and it was gone.
"Leo!" Phoebe cried, seeing Vaughn on the floor with a huge burn on his shoulder.
Following Phoebe's gaze, Sydney was on the floor beside him before anyone could stop her.
"Vaughn! Vaughn, come on," Sydney pleaded.
Phoebe kneeled on the other side of Vaughn's unconscious form and checked his neck for a pulse.
"He's okay," Phoebe said as Leo orbed in behind her.
"What happened?" Leo asked, his eyes quickly searching the room and its newest scorch marks.
"We were attacked," Phoebe commented dryly.
"Or rather, Sydney and Michael were attacked," Piper noted, indicating Vaughn as she pulled Sydney reluctantly to her feet and away from Vaughn.
Leo immediately crouched, and Sydney watched as the gaping wound was bathed in golden light, then disappeared. Piper turned her loose as Vaughn sat up, and Sydney practically pounced on him.
"Wow," Vaughn managed, looking up at Phoebe around Sydney because she was closest. "And you three do this every day?"
"Yeah, mostly," Phoebe said with a sardonic grin.
"No," Piper commented, a note in her voice telling her sisters and husband she'd realized something. "Not usually every day. The Source has never sent two attackers that close together before."
"The Source?" Pamela asked from the doorway, where she'd frozen at the sight of the flaming ball of fire.
"The Source of all evil," Paige said with a shrug.
"I'll see what I can find out," Leo said in concern. He heard what piper didn't say: two attacks in two days, both while the CIA agents were present, probably meant something.
"We'll check the Book," Piper said, and Leo disappeared in his characteristic swirly blue lights.
An eerie red light emanated from the black-cloaked demon, enough to instill fear in even the boldest minion of the Source.
The demon sent to check on the Charmed Ones kneeled, somewhat painfully, until the Source bade him rise.
"What have you to say?" the voice came from behind the hood.
"It is too late. The Charmed Ones have the girl, sire."
"Fool!" the Source roared. "Your task was only to kill a mortal with no powers before he led the Charmed Ones to the child! I will not tolerate such a failure!"
Fire erupted from the hand of the Source and licked hungrily upwards.
"No!" the demon screamed as the flames shot froth and enveloped him.
The Source wave his hand, and the Seer sprang up before him.
"What do you see now?" he demanded impatiently.
The Seer's eyes seemed to roll back in her head until there were only cloudy orbs.
"There is a spell in their Book of Shadows," the Seer said, her words deliberate. "It will cement the child's place within the power of three, and she will become untouchable to us. The child must be reached before the witches discover this spell."
"Then she will be reached. Leave me," the Source ordered, while he pondered which demon would be right for the killing of a young witch.
"The Book of Shadows," Phoebe clarified for Sydney, Vaughn, and Pamela as they reached the attic. "It contains spells, and information on various magical creatures. Including known demons and warlocks."
"And it protects itself from evil," Paige added.
"So you're hoping to find that…whatever it was in the Book of Shadows?" Sydney asked.
"Right," Piper said, flipping open the heavy book. "How did he appear?" she asked Sydney and Vaughn.
"He…sorta wavered for a second," Sydney supplied.
"Shimmered…that means we're looking for a demon," Piper murmured, flipping pages.
Paige and Phoebe crowded around behind her. Pamela, curiosity getting the better of her, stood on tiptoe to look over Paige's shoulder. Sydney and Vaughn exchanged glances, then shrugged and joined the huddle.
Piper turned another page, and everybody yelled at once.
"There!"
"Him!"
"That's him!"
"That one!"
"That's the one!"
Piper cast an annoyed glance over her shoulder.
"O-kay. You don't have to shout," she muttered. "Jinx," she read aloud for the benefit of anyone who couldn't see. "Lower-level demon…acts as a hit man for the Source…only attacks mortals…"
"He was after me," Vaughn said, staring at the picture in the Book. "Why?"
"I don't know," Piper said, moving away before her entourage pressed any closer. "But I'd say he had the backing of the Source, or our combined powers would have easily vanquished him."
Lights danced, and Leo glanced around to find Piper off to the side and the other five huddled around the Book of Shadows.
"I found out about your demon," Leo said. "He wasn't after the Charmed Ones, he was after…"
"Me," Vaughn interrupted.
"Yeah, cut to the why," Piper said. "We know Jinx was after Michael and that he had to have the backing of the Source."
"As far as the Elders can tell, the Source was trying to eliminate him before he accomplished some task, the Elders think that was finding Pamela."
"But now they know we have her. Does that mean I'm safe?" Vaughn asked.
"Probably," Leo agreed. "But presume nothing. The Source obviously has an agenda, and if his original plan failed as we suspect, he'll have a backup plan."
"But if his goal was to keep me from…" Vaughn trailed off, realizing that if they continued with this line of thought, Pamela would eventually figure out there was something everyone was specifically hiding from her.
Sydney caught on.
"Pamela, what do you say we go take a closer look at this book?" Sydney said, looking to Piper for approval. "If that's okay?"
"Sure, just stay inside. The Book doesn't leave the manor," Piper explained.
"Right," Sydney agreed, pulling the Book off the podium.
Vaughn waited until the door shut behind Sydney and Pamela to continue what he'd been saying.
"If the Source's goal is to keep me from finding Pamela, he's already failed," Vaughn continued. "But why would he want me not to find Pamela?"
"Because she's a witch," Paige said. "The daughter of a Charmed One."
"She must have the power to become a Charmed One," Phoebe said. "Otherwise, the Source would never be interested in a little girl."
"He's going to come after Pamela," Piper said, a determination hardening her voice.
Oh, no! Run, Pamela, run! Oh, wait, he'd probably just blink or shimmer and get you anyway…may be you better just let Aunty Piper blow him up…Or may be Phoebe can send him to Timbuktu. It rhymes with undo, doncha know…