A/N: I'm back! And when I finish the two stories I've already started I've got some ideas for series……serieses? What the heck is the plural for series anyway?

Piper and Paige each gave a halfhearted laugh as Phoebe made another stupid crack about the Elders being useless. As true, and ironic, as it was, they just weren't in the mood for laughing. Piper put a piece of pineapple to her lips, then set her fork down again. "Paige, honey, aren't you hungry?"

Phoebe looked up and noticed that Paige had been pushing the food around on her plate. "You aren't tired again already, are you?" Phoebe asked, panicked.

Paige shrugged, "I dunno, I'm just not hungry."

"Sweetie, try and eat something, you need your strength."

"Phoebe's right, Paige, please eat just a little bit."

Paige sighed.

Leo stood in his white robes in front of the council of Elders. "You can't be serious!"

"Do you know us as jokers, Leo?" one of the Elders asked.

"No, but, that can't be true!"

"I wish it were not, but it is, Leo. Odysseus has succeeded in every attempt he has ever made on a witch's life."

"But I can't go down there and tell the sisters that. It will kill Piper and Phoebe; they can't handle losing another sister. These are the Charmed Ones, for god's sake!"

"Leo," the Elder said softly.

"This isn't fair to us, especially not the girls!"

"Leo, listen to us," the Elder said again.

"What can possibly be more important than Paige's life?"

"Leo, you may be able to save her, but she will need her sisters' help. She cannot defeat Odysseus on her own, Charmed One or no."

"How do they do it?"

"We don't know, but we hope the girls will be able to figure something out."

"You hope? You hope?"

"Leo, please remain calm. The girls will have to figure it out."

"And what if they don't?"

"Then Paige will die."

Paige stood up and stretched. "Are you tired?" Phoebe asked quickly.

"No, worrywart, I'm fine. I'm just full. And a little tense."

"Well that's understandable, sweetie," Piper said. "You've been through a lot."

"Yeah, yeah." Paige reached for her plate.

"Hey, I tell you what," Phoebe said, "after we get cleaned up, why don't you relax and I'll give you one of my world famous back rubs."

"She's good," Piper admitted.

"That'd be great, thanks, Phoebe," Paige said with a smile. She picked up her plate and started for the sink. Piper and Phoebe turned back to their own meals. Suddenly they heard a shattering noise behind them. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Paige cried. She began to waver and stumbled around blindly searching for the counter to support herself.

"Paige!" Phoebe rushed to steady her. Piper hurried to Paige's other side and added her support to that of Phoebe's. Paige sagged in her sisters' arms.

"C'mon, Phoebe, let's get her over to the couch." Phoebe and Piper guided their younger sister to the living room. "Okay, honey, we're almost there. Just a few more steps, Paige."

"I'm so sorry!"

"Honey, it's just a plate, it can be replaced. You can't," Phoebe reassured her.

"Do you know what happened?" Piper asked as she and Phoebe helped Paige onto the couch.

"I-I don't know. I just got dizzy and I felt so tired and I thought I was going to fall over."

"You nearly did," Phoebe said as she kneeled down in front of Paige.

"I know."

Blue and white orbs filled the stairway. Leo walked down the steps slowly, Piper watching his every move. He nodded his head towards the kitchen. "Why don't you sit here for a couple minutes and rest?" Paige nodded. "Phoebe, watch her." Phoebe showed her agreement by moving so that she was sitting to the left of Paige.

"Go ahead," Phoebe said, noticing Leo. She gently rubbed Paige's back as the married couple walked into the kitchen.

Piper poured herself a cup of coffee. "Well, what did they say?" she asked Leo urgently.

"It's not too good."

"What do you mean by 'not too good'? Is it a 'this is going to be a hard demon to vanquish' or a 'Paige's life really hangs in the balance' hard?"

Leo sighed. "Both."

"You don't mean—she won't die, will she?"

"I don't know, Piper. Odysseus has never failed at killing a witch." Piper buried her head in Leo's chest.

"I-I don't want to lose her, Leo."

"The Elders think you have a better chance of saving her if you and Phoebe help her."

"How-how do we help her?"

"I don't know."

"What about the Elders?"

"They don't know either."

"There's a shocker. How the hell are we supposed to do this!"

"You'll think of something, honey, you always do. It's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. As long as you love her, you will find a way."

"We didn't with Prue."

"Prue has nothing to do with this, Piper. You have to keep her out of this, keep a clear head. Do it for Paige."

"I will. I will bring down the entire world of evil of that's what I have to do to save her."