The next morning, Piper woke with the strange feeling that she'd forgotten something. Wyatt and Chris however, kept her too busy to really try and figure out what the problem was. She simply didn't have the time.
Phoebe, now off work was lounging about, wandering the house, not knowing what to do with herself. She wandered into Paige's room, and watched her little sister sleep. Momentarily she thought about how very creepy it would seem if Paige woke, and how creepy it really was. She shrugged it off and bent over Paige, smiling ear to ear when she sensed that her sister was having a really, really fun dream.
Paige woke up suddenly; with the eerie feeling she was being watched. To her horror, Phoebe was bent over her with this huge smile – it made her want to shriek.
"What are you doing?" Paige cried, shooing her away. "You can't just come in here and stare at me while I sleep! Do you know how weird that is? Well do you??"
Phoebe chuckled. "It's ok; I just wanted to wake you up... it worked didn't it?"
"Ugh, you make me so crazy!" She threw the covers off and hit the floor, heading out of her bedroom.
Leo orbed into the manor's attic. He fell to the ground, and began to shake with thoughts of what he'd done the night before. He'd done some surprising things before, but this was something that he had thought he was above. He honestly didn't see the darkness in him until it was too late. He'd slipped now, and wasn't even sure how to make it back up.
Piper was just putting the kids to sleep, when she felt a presence. It drew her toward the attic. She went silently, for some reason she didn't want Phoebe of Paige to follow her. As she ascended the stairs, that same uncontrollable sadness took her, but she ignored it, knowing she must reach the attic. She opened the door, fully expecting to see nothing there but cobwebs and the book of shadows. But what she found would make even more emotions rise and bubble at the surface.
Leo was rocking himself back and forth on the floor. He was crying, and obviously disturbed. The site of him in such pain brought long dormant feelings to the surface. She felt a swell of love for him wash over her. She went to his side and held him, protectively. She coddled him and held him, telling him that whatever it was, he'd be ok.
"Not this time." He whispered.
Piper stroked his forehead and kissed his head. "What happened?"
Leo took her arms with his hands and through teary eyes stared her down. "Piper, I killed an Elder, and covered it up."
"No. No." Piper gasped, knowing this could very well mean the end of him. "It's ok, no one else has to ever know. It'll be ok; I'll take care of you. I'll always take care of you." She promised him.
It was then that they heard the sound of Phoebe and Paige coming up the stairs. Leo looked worriedly at Piper, who calmly nodded her head.
"Go... come back tonight." She said quietly, as he orbed out and left her on the floor by herself.
"Piper, Chris is awake." Paige said, holding the baby in her arms. "What are you doing on the floor?" She asked.
"Nothing really, just thinking." Piper said calmly, too calmly.
Phoebe came in and began her own spiel. "Well, think about this. According to some sources in the underground, these demons that are working for the Conduits, they're being headed up by... get this... a human."
"A human?" Paige asked, confused.
Piper crossed her arms. "What sources do you have in the underground?"
Dismissing Piper's inquiry she skipped to Paige's question. "His name is Daniel B. Barker." Phoebe held up a news paper. "He's a cult leader, leading people to their 'salvation' through the worship of his deity."
"My God, he has demons following him?" Paige asked.
Piper was still nagging on about the sources. "Who exactly did you get this info from?"
"No, the demons aren't following him, they're helping him. Why, I don't know."
"Phoebe! Who did you get this info from!?" Piper demanded, taking Chris from Paige.
Phoebe looked sheepish for a minute. "No one, does it matter? I know the info I have is correct. That's all that matters."
"All that matters? That's it, huh? Unless it matters to you, it doesn't matter at all. Right?" Piper was fuming.
"I never said that." Phoebe protested.
"You didn't have to!" Piper yelled angrily.
Trying to calm the heated waters. "Hey, c'mon guys..." She took Chris from Piper.
Piper couldn't stop. She couldn't contain her anger anymore. She felt her powers surge beneath her skin, crackling, and sizzling. It burned to contain the anger, and the only way she saw to stop the burning was to use her powers. She stretched out her arms toward her sister, and opened her hands to use her powers. As she motioned to freeze Phoebe, Paige tried to stop her. But it was too late. Piper's increasing powers caused everyone in the house to freeze, except Piper herself. Heaving in anger, and trying to catch her breath from yelling, Piper looked around, aghast at what she'd done to her own flesh and blood, her own family.
As she backed away, terrified of her own might; Leo orbed in. He saw her standing there, amidst frozen figures of Phoebe, and Paige – both looking upset, scared and angry. Piper's hands were shaking. She looked to Leo for some kind of comfort, some answer. She wanted him to let her know that whatever was happening to her powers, it would be ok. He couldn't gratify her wishes; he just took her in his arms, as she had for him, and held her there, silently.
"Leo, my powers; they, they built up until I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to. I had to – it burned too badly. Leo, what's happening to me!?" She began to sob on his shoulder.
Leo brushed a few stray hairs from her face, and looked deeply into her eyes. "Piper, you know better than anyone that your powers are growing because they're meant to. You're only given what you can handle."
Piper shook her head in disbelief. "Only what I can handle? I can't handle any of this. Not now. There's just too much." She cried.
They embraced and hugged. Wiping her tears from her eyes, Piper straightened herself out, and suddenly, without slight of hand, Phoebe, Paige – with Chris, unfroze. They looked around, dazed, and noticed that Leo was there, beside her. Unaware of what Leo had done, Phoebe darted toward him.
"Go ask them what the hell is allowing Piper to freeze us!" She demanded.
Piper shook her head. "No."
Paige, equally upset now. "Piper, whatever is going on, we have to find out."
Leo wasn't willing to betray Piper. "Sorry, I can't." He orbed out without further goodbyes or explanations.
Phoebe sighed, shaking her head. "That Figures."
"You know, I think we should be more worried about the fact that you have informants in the underground. Doesn't that bother you Phoebe? That you are turning to our enemies for information? You can't possibly trust them, can you?" Piper asked, honestly concerned.
Phoebe slunk back, and tried to avoid eye contact. "I know you're mad at me, I have been a little crazy lately, but it's only because I..." She began to trail off, unsure.
Paige was concerned now too. "Wait, you really have contacts down there, Phoebe, how could you?"
"It's not what you guys think..." Phoebe began.
Piper stepped closer. "Phoebe, in the future you turned evil, in the past you were evil, and now this? I really want to believe in the best, I do. Tell to me that you're not starting to slip away from us." She pained.
"No. No, you guys, no. It's Cole." She said at last.
Paige turned a dark red color, she was mad. "Cole!?"
Piper stepped back, unsure of what to say. "What do you mean, it's Cole. Cole is dead."
"I know... and he is, in our world. But well, this Cole is from a world where Prue never died – the world that would have led us to the future where you had a daughter." She explained hesitantly. "He's not the same. He's good. Really good – and still half demon."
Piper sighed. "A world where Prue never died? What else did he feed you?"
Paige suddenly felt awkward. If Prue lived in some other world that meant she never found out she had sisters, that she never found out she was a witch, that she had a family, and a purpose. It made her want to cry, but she had to remain strong, and hold up appearances. It wasn't like Prue was here after all.
"Prove it, tell him to prove it. If he got out of this world, then he can get Prue too." Piper said angrily.
Phoebe looked at Paige, sensing her sudden sadness. "I don't know, she's not meant to be here Piper... not that I wouldn't love to see her, I would."
Piper shook her head. "Cole isn't meant to be here either, so unless you want me to summon, and then blow up his half demonic ass, I suggest you get your bottom to wherever he is and tell him to bring my sister back – now." She finished.
Paige's head dropped, and she stared at the floor. Unable to speak, or move, a fear she didn't know she had rose up and took hold of her. She never realized how afraid she had been that someday she'd be replaced. Prue was going to come back. Her use was gone. With Prue back, they didn't need the little half sister anymore. They would have the real thing again, what good was she?