A/N: Don't you find that honesty's the best policy? It can make or break a relationship, right? Hi, btw.

'Got it,' Chris announced passing the book over to Piper.

'Micudha,' she read aloud. 'Upper-level demon opposed to the Source because of his power desires. Identified by his facial tribal markings which glow red when he is about to attack, several of the Warren line have been claimed by this vicious being who shows no mercy in battle.'

'Wow,' Phoebe said after a moment. 'Any vanquishing spell.'

'A potion. It's your basic upper-level demon vanquishing potion, elm bark, mandrake root.'

'And a piece of his flesh,' Phoebe finished.

'Yep,' Piper confirmed. 'I think we should add that last, okay? Paige, can you get started on a spell to summon this… thing?'

'Sure,' she answered glancing over at Maddy in the armchair, finding her staring right back. 'Wanna help?'

'Yeah, love to,' she smiled a little, surprised to be asked by the look of it.

'Come on,' Paige indicated to the kitchen. Maddy followed with a little apprehension evident in her step, sitting on a stool opposite the one Paige took.

'Okay, so how do we do this?'

'Well, a few years Piper wrote a spell to summon Belthazar- that was Cole's demonic form- and since he was an upper-level demon I'm figuring we can amend it a bit to summon Micudha.'

'You've got it all worked out.'

'You know me, practically perfect in every way.'

'Paige, you're Mary Poppins,' Maddy said. 'Pretty close though.'

'Prue's perfect,' she said bitterly.

'Yeah, they might think so but I don't.'

'So, what did you tow talk about?'

'Stuff,' Maddy answered evasively.

'Right.'

'Are you going to look me in the eye at all?'

Paige stiffened. 'I always knew this'd happen, you know? It's you and Prue, can't compare to the golden sister.'

'Did it ever occur to you that I might actually love you?'

'Not as much as you love her though?'

'I don't love her, I never did!' Maddy raised her voice. 'You're the one, Paige. I saw myself spending the rest of my life with you, all that growing old rubbish, with her I was living day to day.'

'Some people say that excitements better.'

'Will you start talking like you know me?!'

'I know what happened with you and Prue.'

'Not everything you don't.'

That stopped her in her tracks. 'What?'

'I didn't tell you everything about my time with Prue,' Maddy admitted reluctantly. 'It wasn't as… nice as I made out.'

'What are you talking about?'

She was squirming under the eyes. 'I almost died because of her, Paige.'

'How?'

'I don't…'

'Tell me.'

'We were growing apart like I said, one night we were taking a walk, arguing about whether or not she should tell Piper and Phoebe the truth and then… well, we got attacked.'

'Demon?'

'Warlock. Fully equipped with knife. Grabbed me, not her, suppose I was closer than she was, and she did nothing except turn around and run.'

'She what?!'

'Prue didn't care enough to fight for my life. Anyway, that scar I've got on my back? Didn't come from a mugging.'

'I can't get my head around this. I always thought Prue was the do-gooder.'

'Maybe it was an unconscious attempt to dump me, getting me killed.'

More anger was brewing towards her dead sister than she'd felt for any human, warlock or demon. 'Why didn't you tell me this before?'

'Oh, come on, Paige! You had enough trouble believing me at the start, if I'd come up with a story about Prue leaving me to die I don't think we'd be together.'

'Okay, you might have a point,' she admitted grudgingly. 'But you could've told me after, before all this.'

'So you could have an even worse image of Prue? I'm trying to hold you and your sisters together, not push you apart.'

'You know, maybe you've been trying too hard,' Paige said quietly.

'What's wrong with what I'm doing?'

'I feel like you're taking over the magic side of things, I'm not this lone witch anymore.'

'What's the problem with that?'

'I'm not used to it, I feel like all the decisions I should be making you're making and the stuff I should be saying? You're beating me to it.'

'It's not like I mean to, Paige. I guess I just figured if I helped there was less chance of you, you know, getting killed.'

Hesitantly, she pushed her hand across the table, fingers meeting briefly before she jumped up. 'Micudha, have to sort out Micudha.'