SAME SPOILER WARNING AS PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

CHAPTER NINE

Big Wyatt and Big Chris were sound asleep on two daybeds in the attic when suddenly the sound of explosions coming from downstairs woke them. Both jumped up simultaneously, and, still half asleep, headed toward the attic door.

The two brothers, dressed only in their boxer shorts and a t-shirt, were immediately confronted by the backs of several demons throwing all sorts of different demonic weapons toward Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Paige. The four of them were ducking in and out of their bedrooms trying to fight back when it was safe to do so. Baby Chris and Baby Wyatt could be heard crying in the background, obviously because of all the commotion.

Big Wyatt and Big Chris quickly moved back onto the stairs, out of sight, to decide their best plan of attack. The two boys, who were so similar in so many ways, had exactly the same idea as to what to do. They moved out behind the demons and called out "Stay back," to their family as they both used their telekinetic powers together in one sweeping motion. The group of demons didn't have any time to register what was happening before they were all flung at high speed down the corridor and into the opposite wall, vanquishing them all instantly.

Cautiously four heads appeared from the rooms they had taken shelter in, checking to see if it was all right to come out.

"Wow, you guys are handy to have around." Phoebe said, gratefully.

"I'm just glad we can help," Wyatt answered her.

Piper and Leo, without delay, went straight into the younger boys' bedroom to console them.

As Piper stood in the room comforting Baby Chris, and Leo held onto Baby Wyatt, they turned to see their grown up sons standing in the doorway, also checking that everything was fine with the younger versions of themselves.

"You'd think I'd be used to this by now," Piper stated. "But I still find it surreal to have both the younger and older versions of our sons here at the same time."

"I know what you mean." Leo agreed.

"You think it's weird?" Chris questioned. "Just don't ever change his diaper around me, okay!"

They all laughed at Chris' comment.

"That would be weird," Paige agreed, as she walked into the bedroom with Phoebe. "I remember the other Chris freaking out at us when we were just looking at his sonogram."

Big Chris started to look very embarrassed, and to make matters worse, everyone in the room seemed to be enjoying his embarrassment.

"As much as I could talk about me as a baby all day, really, can we move on now and start talking about why all these demons are attacking all of a sudden?" He requested, hoping he could forget the conversation that had just taken place.

"As we said last night," Phoebe answered him, "We think it's Zankou. He's trying to organise the Underworld, become the new Source, and he's trying to wear us down in the process."

"So our best guess is that it was Zankou who killed you." Wyatt commented.

"Either him directly, or one of these attacks he's organising." Leo said.

"None of that really helps us prevent it, though," Chris said, sounding frustrated.

"We've still got time Chris, we'll work it out." Wyatt reassured him.

"I think we should all head to Magic School for a while to give us all a break. He can't reach us there." Leo recommended.

"I've got to go and meet a charge, I'll meet you there." Paige told them, and then she turned to leave the room to get ready.

"Just be careful, Paige, and look out for traps." Piper warned her.

Paige turned back to Piper, nodded and then left.

"What about you Phoebe, do you have to go to the paper, or on a date or something?" Piper asked her.

"Nope. Column's done. No romantic interests at the moment. I'll get ready and come to Magic School with you and we'll work on all of this." She said as she also left the room.

"That was easy." Piper said, warily.

"We'll go and get dressed," Wyatt said as he turned to leave the room with Chris.

"Do you need us to conjure you some clothes?" Piper asked.

"No, we brought some clothes with us in the backpacks we were carrying – we're fine." Chris answered her.

When it was just Piper and Leo left, with the two younger boys, Leo looked at Piper and asked her gently, "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, and felt a wave of emotion come over her. "No, not really, but we don't have time to worry about that now. I'll have a nervous breakdown after we've saved our lives." She turned and put Chris back in his cot. "I'll get ready, can you get the boys ready for me?"

"Of course I can, but Piper, please if you want to talk about it – I'm here." Leo offered her.

Piper stopped as she was walking out the room and turned to face Leo. "I know you are, thank you, but there's really nothing to talk about. It's just all getting on top of me at the moment, but I'll be fine, really." She said, trying to sound convincing.

But Leo was not convinced. "I want to help you, Piper, like you helped me. I want to be there for you, please don't shut me out."

Piper could feel the tears she was trying to hold back starting to fill her eyes. She managed a smile at Leo before walking out to her bedroom. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. With her back against the door, she slid down until she was sitting on the floor, with her knees up to her chest. She folded her arms over her knees and buried her head in her arms, and let the tears out that she had been holding. After a few minutes of unrelenting crying, Piper wondered what she was doing. She was always the one to hold it together and she didn't understand why she just wanted to cry all the time. She was trying to think logically as to what could be causing this to be happening, but found her brain seemed fuzzy almost, and it was difficult to think clearly. Zankou's endless demon attacks, her grown up sons from the future, as well as their baby versions, the news about them dying, the zombie thing, seeing Wyatt evil, and finally Zankou's proposal. It was just all too much. She just wanted to curl up on the floor of her bedroom and never leave.

"Piper," Leo called her from the other side of the door.

Piper took a deep breath and then answered in the strongest voice she could muster, "Yes."

"The boys are ready, big and small, and so is Phoebe. We'll see you downstairs okay?"

"I won't be long." She replied as she tried to wipe the tears away.

With all her inner strength, Piper made herself get up and go to the bathroom. She kept telling herself "You're okay, you're okay." And then she looked in the mirror and sighed. "Okay, you're not okay!" She exclaimed. She washed her face with cold water, but still looked like an absolute wreck. Then she had a thought. "Personal gain, be damned!" She said as she quietly said a spell to herself and waved her hand in front of her face. She looked in the mirror again and saw a happy, refreshed Piper looking back at her. "You've fixed the outside, now all you've got to do is fix the inside," she said as she turned to get ready to go to Magic School.