A/N: It's been a while, then again, I needed thinking time. And Christmas recovery time.

'You know, he'll probably be able to fight my freezes.'

'That's why we'll be quick,' Paige brandished the knife. 'One little rip and we're outta here.'

'Still the problem of the rest of the manor,' Leo pointed out. 'He could stick around.'

'No, he won't,' Piper argued. 'We're too strong a bait, he'll follow us.'

'Well, alright,' Leo answered though he didn't look happy.

'Er, Maddy?' Piper turned to her. 'You better go upstairs, Prue can protect you.'

'Hmph,' Paige huffed, more loudly than she'd intended.

'Got something to say, Paige?' Phoebe asked.

'Me? No.'

Maddy glanced pleadingly at her. 'Alright, good luck.'

'We'll need it,' Chris observed from his position in the corner.

'Stop being so pessimistic,' Piper smiled at him.

'It's my job, okay?'

'The kid's job to protect the parents?' Phoebe said. 'That's a new one.'

'Okay, let's do it,' Paige nodded.

'Piper told me to come wait here.'

'Yeah?'

'You're my protection.'

Prue walked over to the window. 'What's Paige like?'

'I thought you'd know,' Maddy followed her looking out onto the empty street below.

'I didn't want to.'

'You're unbelievable sometimes, Prue. You might not like the fact that she's your sister but I thought you might make the effort to love her.'

'Like you did?'

'Oh, that's nice. A girl can't fall in love these days without having accusations thrown in her face.'

'I don't know what you see in her.'

'Yeah, you do. She's intelligent, beautiful, stubborn. What do you think attracted me to her in the first place?'

'I hope you're not suggesting she's like me.'

'Of course she is,' Maddy answered. 'At first the only thing I noticed about her was you.'

Prue turned, their faces were barely inches apart. 'What's she got that I haven't?'

'She loves me.'

'I cared for you, you know I did.'

'It's not the same as love.'

'That was a phobia for me back then, after Andy and everything.'

'I tried to be sensitive, Prue.'

'Did you love me?' she asked carefully.

'That's a pretty complicated question.'

'I'd say it's pretty simple myself.'

The tension between them escalated that little bit more, Maddy resisted the urge to reach forward. 'You can't ask me that.'

'Don't you want to answer?'

'No,' she admitted.

Prue's lips captured her own, feeling bowled over Maddy allowed their arms to draw them closer until…

'Aah!'

The scream from below wrenched them apart, it was Paige's scream. Looking at Prue she couldn't believe what she'd done but then she tried to push past, obviously Paige was important not this.

'Hey, whoa!' Prue held her back so she was pressed against the window. 'Leave it.'

'Leave it?! That was Paige!'

'Didn't seem to be bothering you a second ago.'

'Let me go,' Maddy struggled but for a dead gal Prue was pretty strong. 'I have to go.'

'I'm supposed to be keeping you here.'

'Let me go!'

'Damn it, I'm protecting you!'

Finally she pushed free. 'Well, wouldn't that be a first?'

'Don't you dare go to her.'

Without answering Maddy rushed down the attic steps then skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs trying to gauge the goings on below.

'Leo, watch out!' Piper screamed as a crash echoed around the manor.

'Paige, slice him!' That was Chris.

The next thing Maddy heard was a yelp and another crash, enough to make her rush down into the action.