A/N: I originally thought of calling this chapter, "A Problem To The Solution", because that's what it is. Then I thought of the old saying, "between a rock and a hard place" and I was like, "Oh! This is better!" But I just wanted to make sure you got the "joke". peanut2lb: lol I've never read HP books, however I did see the second movie with a friend, so I have a vague idea of what you're talking about. ;) Well, you'll see. ;) Thanks for the happy review! Zythe: Hmm, I dunno. I was never a fan of Gideon and didn't really like the idea, however I was thinking of putting Gideon's Magic School into my other story about the teen Charmed Ones. Phyre: Oh, you caught me. Thanks for pointing that out. Well, in this chapter there is a bit of a time lapse between the last chapter and this one, so Persia is already at Magic School. charmedsisters: I probably will give Piper a new power, but I don't know when, yet. Since I'm introducing 2 new characters, with new powers, I don't want everything to see "too powerful" (like the show does with Wyatt and all). Isn't the memory stuff a dust that The Elders give whitelighters? Hmm....I'll think about it. Thanks for the idea! CharmedAli: Piper will reveal her pregnancy in due time. ;) Gryffindor620: Ha! That was like my favorite line from chapter 22! :-D

The Blessed Ones
Chapter 23: Between A Rock And A Halliwell's Place

"Maybe we could trap him in a locket, like Melinda Warren did with Matthew Tate?" Phoebe suggested.

Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Janie, Leo, Cole, Persia, Pearl, Phiona, Pam, and Pandora were seated in the cafeteria at a very large table.

"Possibly." Prue agreed. "Are you sure we can't find a way to vanquish him though?"

"Positive. He's immortal, Prue." Phoebe replied, as she flipped through the pages of the Book of Shadows.

Prue snapped her fingers in annoyance. "And so we just sit and wait for him to attack again?"

"No, we work on a spell. Actually, Janie and I should work on the spell since he's been after her and I'm pretty good at spells." Phoebe replied.

"Should I go see if I can gather any info in the Underworld?" Cole asked.

"Good idea." Phoebe replied.

"I wanna go with daddy!" Pam said brightly.

"It's too dangerous!" Phoebe protested.

Pam made a pouty face. "You always say that!"

"Because it's always true." Phoebe replied, to her youngest daughter.

Persia smiled. "Hey, I have an idea! What if Cole took me and Pam? It would be less dangerous and I could have some actual demon info gathering practise.." She could tell that Pam wasn't too happy about having her around and was trying her hardest to get Pam to like her; after all, she was her younger sister.

Phoebe seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding her head. "I..I guess that would be okay...If, you promise to be extremely careful! You both have to listen to Cole and all of you have to come back if there is any sign of trouble!" Phoebe warned.

Pam nodded eagerly.

"Okay." Persia said.

"Cole, is that okay with you?" Phoebe asked, as she looked at her husband.

Cole nodded. He really liked Persia and wanted to get to know her better, especially since he knew how much she meant to Phoebe. "I think that would be alright."

Pam grinned and hopped off her chair and ran to her father's side. "Let's go, let's go!" She shouted.

Cole took Pam's hand.

Persia walked over to Cole and Pam and held out her hand.

Pam pulled away.

Persia tried to act as if the gesture didn't hurt, although somewhere, it did. She took Cole's hand. "Bye."

"We'll be back soon." Cole said, then he shimmered them out.

Minutes later, Paige glanced at the ceiling. "Leo, I hear a funny ringing in my head."

Leo glanced at Paige, surprised. "Really? That means The Elders' are calling you."

"How? I'm only half whitelighter." Paige said.

"If you have any whitelighter blood, they have the power to call you. In fact....they're calling me too." Leo said.

"Then you two should go." Phoebe said.

Pearl and Phiona blinked and rubbed their heads. "We hear funny noises." They said, in unison.

Leo glanced at Piper who seemed to have an odd expression on her face. "Piper, are you okay?"

Piper rubbed her head. "Uh..yes. Of course, why wouldn't I be?" She replied, quickly. "You know what, you should take the girls. Even though it is extremely odd."

Leo nodded and walked over to Phiona and picked her up. "Come on, you're coming with us."

"Where?" Phiona asked.

"'Up There'." Leo answered.

"Ditto for you, Pearl." Paige said. She got up, walked over to her daughter, and scooped her into her arms. "Meet you there, Leo and Phiona." She said, then orbed out with Pearl.

Leo orbed himself and his daughter out, seconds later.

Piper rubbed her head again.

"Piper?" Prue asked.

Piper smiled brightly at Prue. "Yeah, just a little headache." Piper lied.

Phoebe eyed her older sister. I know exactly what is going on. She thought, as she eyed Piper's stomach and then up at the ceiling.

Pandora opened her mouth.

Pandora, don't say anything. Phoebe thought.

Pandora shrugged. But why doesn't Auntie Piper want anybody to know that she is gonna have anoder baby? She mentally asked her Aunt Phoebe.

I don't know. But it would be rude to tell everyone for her. Phoebe thought.

Oh. Pandora thought back.

Suddenly Brandon teleported in. "Pearl!" He shouted.

"Brandon! What's wrong?" Prue asked.

"A...." Brandon began, but was cut off.

"Bad, bad demon be attacking!" Pandora interrupted.

"What she said!" Brandon said, as he pointed to Pearl's younger cousin.

"I'll go take care of it!" Prue said. She walked over to Brandon, with Pandora in her arms, and took his hand. "Show us the way."

Brandon teleported them out.

----

Brandon teleported himself, Prue, and Pandora into the school gym.

"Oh my God! That's Orack, the demon we've been after!" Prue gasped. "Brandon, get out of here!"

Orack heard Prue's voice and turned towards the 3. "I knew you were hiding somewhere!" He shouted.

Prue spotted a cart of basket balls and waved her hand, telekinetically knocking over the cart and sending all the balls rolling at Orack.

Orack flared out and then flared in, on the other side of the room. "Where's the witch?!" He demanded.

"You mean, Janie? You'll never find her!" Prue answered.

"The big bad demon guy tinks dat Janie will detroy him." Pandora burst out.

Orack's face turned bright red. A telepath, I should have known! He thought, as he locked his vision onto Pandora.

"I don't think I like you looking at my daughter that way!" Prue said. She waved her hand and sent Orack crashing face first into the wall. How can Janie destroy him? Prue suddenly thought.

"Me dunno." Pandora said.

"I summon the winds to aid me now, may them take you back to hell!" Brandon spoke, off the top of his head. He wasn't the greatest as making spells, especially off the top of his head.

A little gust of wind blew around Orack.

"He's immortal, Brandon." Prue whispered.

"I know, Pearl told me so. But I thought that maybe I could temporarily send him to the Underworld, to give us some more time." Brandon whispered back.

"Oh!" Prue said. She took Brandon's hand. "Then say it with me! After all, the more power the better, right?"

Brandon nodded. "Thanks, Ms. Halliwell."

I guess Pearl got a really good one. Prue thought, as a quick flash of the Brandon she saw from the future went through her mind. They remind me so much of Andy and I, at that age....Minus the magic.

"Me wanna say the spell too!" Pandora announced.

Prue nodded. "Go ahead, darling." Prue urged. "On three! One...two..three!"

"I summon the winds to aid me now, may they take you back to hell! I summon the winds to aid me now, may they take you back to hell! I summon the winds to aid me now, may they take you back to hell!" Prue, Brandon, and Pandora chanted; although Pandora couldn't quite pronounce all of the words.

A slow wind began to form around Orack and within a few moments, it had turned into a full blown whirlwind. It spun Orack around with a magical fury and then suck him up and vanished from sight; along with Orack.

Prue glanced down at Brandon. "I'll be sure to tell Pearl how you helped us."

Brandon turned a little red. "It won't last long. He seems pretty powerful."

"I know. But you gave us a little time at least." Prue replied.

Mrs. Green came running into the room. "Brandon! Brandon!" She yelled.

"Over here, Mrs. Green!" Brandon called, as he waved his arm.

"Brandon! Oh my Goddess! You're okay! Where have you been?" Mrs. Green asked; she hadn't noticed Prue and Pandora yet.

"Helping Ms. Halliwell." Brandon said.

Mrs. Green looked at Prue and Pandora. "But wasn't that the demon you've been after?" She asked. She'd been shown the picture from the Book of Shadows and told that he was an immediate threat. That was why she and all the other teachers had ushered the kids out of the gym as soon as she saw the demon flare in.

"Yes. Brandon was just helping us temporarily banish him to the Underworld." Prue answered. She patted Brandon on the arm. "You should go back to class."

"What about Pearl? Where is she?" Brandon asked.

"Brandon!" Mrs. Green said, in a warning tone. "This is a matter for the Halliwells and you shouldn't be too nosey."

"No, it's okay, Mrs. Green." Prue said, in a soft tone. "Pearl went 'Up There' with her mother, cousin, and uncle."

"Where?" Brandon asked.

"To see The Elders." Prue answered.

"Oh....Wait, but aren't only whitelighters allowed there?" Brandon asked. But before Prue could answer, he smacked himself in the head. "Oh right...She's one-fourth whitelighter..Okay, well, umm....can you tell her I said good luck?"

"Of course." Prue said. She pointed to Mrs. Green. "You'd better go now."

"Okay. Bye!" Brandon said, as he walked to Mrs. Green.

Mrs. Green and Brandon walked out of the gym.

Prue turned around. "Now how do I get back?" She asked out loud. She shrugged and turned phasable. "Hopefully I won't walk in and disturb anyone's classroom." Prue said, as she phased through a wall and into an empty classroom and continued to walk.

----

"Shouldn't Prue be back by now?" Piper asked, in a worried tone.

"Piper, I'm sure everything is okay." Phoebe said. At least, she hoped it was. Then felt a strange feeling of confusion and looked up at the wall to see Prue, carrying Pandora, phase through. "Prue?"

"Yeah..Sorry, I got lost." Prue apologized.

"Where is Brandon?" Piper asked.

"Back in class." Prue answered as she turned solid and sat down at the table.

"Guess what! Da demon is afwaid dat he is gonna get vanquished 'cause somebody's gotta sackofrice themself." Pandora announced.

"What in the world does she mean by 'sack of rice'?" Piper asked.

"Sacrifice!" Prue blurted out. "Translation: 'The demon is afraid that he is gonna get vanquished because somebody has got to sacrifice themself!'" Prue replied.

"Well if that's true, then why doesn't is say that in the book?" Piper asked.

"Because nobody read his mind!" Phoebe replied. "Here, give me a pen."

Piper reached into her purse and pulled out a black gel pen. "Here, Pheebs."

Phoebe grabbed the pen and wrote in the following: 'There is one way to vanquish Orack. A person must willingly sacrifice herself/himself.'

"But we still have a problem! Who is willingly to sacrifice themself to kill a demon? We can't!" Piper said.

TO BE CONTINUED....