"Where's Phoebe and Penny?" Piper asked looking behind Leo when he orbed in.
"They'll be here soon, they're driving back from the restaurant now." he said half smiling as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Let's go up to the attic then." Chris suggested, turning back to face his parents. "What are you going to do with the kids?"
Leo looked at Piper.
"I'll take them over to Sheila and Darryl's." he said. "I'll be back soon. Boy's get your stuff."
The boys came running into the room, each carrying a bag.
"Are we going to Uncle Darryl's?" Little Chris asked.
"Yes. Are you ready to go?"
"I think so." he said looking around. "Yep."
"Okay both of you take my hand, and we can go."
Piper watched as her husband and sons left, then she turned and began to walk up the stairs.
"Come on, let's get everything set up."
James looked at her, 'Set up?' he thought. 'I thought we were going to talk.'
In the attic Piper moved a few vials of the vanquishing potion onto the table closer to the book. Then picking up the pin cushion she walked over to James.
"We need a few drops of your blood for each vial." she told him, her voice gentle yet unwavering.
James looked at her then at Paige.
"Are we going to do this today?" he asked slowly.
Piper looked at Paige, a completely bewildered look on her face.
"Isn't that why we're all here?"
"I thought we were going to discuss what the possible strategies were."
"There is only one way to defeat this demon." Piper pointed out gently.
"Are you sure?"
"My sister's have been working on this for weeks now." Paige told him.
Taking a deep breath he took one of the pins and walked over to the vials, taking the stoppers out he pricked his middle finger, wincing as a globule of blood appeared. Moving his finger to the first vial he let a few drops fall, then moved on to the next vial, then the third and so on until he had added his blood to all of them. Down stairs the front door opened and closed.
"Where is everyone?" Penny asked
"Up here." Chris called back down. Turning back he smiled at James who was sucking his finger.
"That should do." Piper said putting the stoppers back on the bottles. Looking up she looked at James. "This isn't going to be easy."
"I understand." he said leaning back against the window sill.
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked as she and Penny walked in.
"Were going to have James call Dalton soon." Piper said.
A concerned look crossed Penny's face.
"Today?" she asked looking at Chris.
"Today." Paige said.
Phoebe walked over to James.
"Your doing an honourable thing." she said laying her hand on his arm.
"Duck!" Chris yelled as a fireball sailed overhead.
Penny rushed to Paige's side.
"You need to get together. Say the spell. Chris and I will try to keep him preoccupied. Have Leo orb dad out." she said as she looked over the at Dalton, then her father who was still standing, unable to move. Chris threw Dalton against the wall using his telekinesis. Then held his hand out to help Phoebe up off the floor.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Phoebe!" Paige yelled waving her over. Phoebe headed over to her sister.
"Are you okay?" Paige asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." she said brushing her hands on her pants. "Where's Piper?"
Both woman poked their heads up, Chris was fending off attacks from Dalton, Penny was ushering Piper towards them.
"They need you Piper, you have to do the spell." she was saying as they hurried over. When they reached them, Penny turned back around James was still standing in the middle of the room.
"Judas!" Dalton yelled. "You think to turn on me, I made you." he continued to bellow as he made his way towards him. Chris threw him against the wall again, but Dalton continued on his path towards James. Penny jumped up and ran towards her father, grabbing his hand she tried to pull him towards the others.
"Please, fight it! We have to get you to safety." she pleaded. But he didn't move, he couldn't. Chris turned around to check on them.
"Get him out of here." he yelled.
"Chris! Turn around!" Penny yelled back. It was too late Dalton saw an opportunity, and sent Chris flying into a wall. Hitting it hard, he slumped to the ground.
"CHRIS!" Penny screamed unable to move. Leo luckily orbed over to them and took them to safety.
"Phoebe?" Paige said as she snapped her fingers in front of her. Looking over at Piper she shrugged her shoulders. "Phoebe?"
Shaking her head Phoebe looked at her sister.
"If we do this no hesitations." she stressed.
"What did you see?" Piper asked.
"That doesn't matter. If we're going to do this, we do it now!"
Piper looked at Phoebe and saw fear in her eyes, 'What did she see?' Piper wondered.
"Okay, James are you ready?"
"I guess so." he said exhaling.
"What do you need?"
"Um. Candles, black ones, a blood bowl, and a sharp knife." he said.
"We can do the candles and the knife, but we don't have a blood bowl will a cereal bowl be okay?" Piper asked.
"I don't know. I have one at the office." he said.
"I'll go." Penny said and orbed out before anyone could object.
'Let's set it up." Phoebe said. James took the candles from Piper, setting them on the table and lighting them one by one, then he placed the knife next to one of the candles. Then he rolled up the sleeve to his right arm, and exhaled slowly. Penny orbed back in and handed him the bowl.
"Thanks." he said giving her a weak smile. "Do you want me to start? Are you ready?"
Piper and Phoebe both grabbed a vial off the table, then handed one to Chris and Penny. Paige walked over to James.
"This is it. After he's gone you'll be free." she said taking his hand.
"I know I'm just a little…"
"A little?"
"Scared."
"It's okay to be scared." she said reassuringly, reaching up and stroking his cheek. He bent down and gave her a quick, yet passionate kiss.
"If anything happens to me, you…"
Paige cut him off.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, me or anyone else here." she told him. Then she went back and stood with her sisters.
"Whenever your ready." Penny told him.
Picking up the knife he glanced up at Paige, and smiled unconvincingly. Closing his eyes he cut his hand again, wining slightly. Then picking up the bowl he let his blood flow into it, then he started the spell.
"The secrets hid within in the night
The oldest of evils I invoke
The great malevolence is sought here tonight
Blood and pain, but not in vain.
Return now to whence it began."
Then he looked over at the sister's, 'I hope that work's, it isn't night.' he thought. His fears quickly put to rest as a cloud of flame and smoke appeared in front of him.
"You summon me now?" Dalton roared. "You were told only at night, and only at your home during this."
Paige threw the vial in her hand, quickly followed by Phoebe and Piper, Dalton wheeled around his eyes filled with fury, without stopping they started the spell:
"Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Astrid
Melinda, Helena, Alora, and Grace...
Halliwell witches stand strong beside us,
Vanquish this evil from time and space."
Dalton turned and faced James.
"What have you done?" he screamed as flames engulfed his being. He let out one final blood curdling scream and disappeared in front of them. Paige rushed to James side, quickly followed by Penny who was carrying a cloth.
"Here." she said handing it to Paige so that she could wrap it to stop the bleeding.
"Leo!" Phoebe said firmly.
"What happened?" he asked panicked.
"We vanquished him, but you need to heal James." she told him quickly.
Leo was swiftly at James side, lifting the cloth he placed his hand over the cut and let his magic light heal the wound.
"Thankyou." James said looking at him. "Thankyou all." he said peering up at all of them. Penny smiled at him and snuck a look at her mother, then she quietly left the room.
"Now you have to explain to me how you knew everything." he told Paige. "Please."
"Well, it was actually Penny." she said looking up, her eyes searching the room for her. "Penny? Where'd she go?"
"I'll find her." Chris said. "You tell him."