The Enchanted Ones
Chapter Eleven

Hello loves. I do so hope that you enjoy this chapter, sorry it's taken me so long to get it up. I've been on vacation. I'm leaving again tomorrow, so don't expect another one for at least a week. But hopefully I'll get the next one up soon after I get back (8/17). Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

After leaving the Noakes' home in Texas, the Halliwells returned the rental car to the dealership and paid for it, then orbed back to the manor.

When they materialized in the kitchen, they silently looked at one another. Leo scanned the faces of the women in front of him and slowly said, "We have to talk."

Piper met his eyes. "Later," she said quietly. She turned and walked out of the room, continuing up the stairs until she got to her bedroom. Paige and Phoebe exchanged glances, then followed after their older sister.

When they got upstairs, they knocked on Piper's closed bedroom door. They waited a few seconds for an answer, and when there was none they went in anyway.

Piper sat at the head of her bed, staring into space. Her sisters quietly closed the door and walked over to her bed. They sat down next to her and each put an arm around her.

"Piper?" Phoebe asked gently. Piper turned her head to look at Phoebe. "What's wrong?"

Piper shook her head. "Nothing… It's just… nothing."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows, trying to prompt Piper to explain. "No, really. It's nothing. I just didn't expect meeting her to be so overwhelming." Piper stopped and took a breath. "She looks so much like Prue. She seems like such a great kid. ...Do you think, if Prue and Andy had raised her...?" her voice trailed off.

"There's no way to know that now…" Paige spoke up.

"I know," Piper said softly. "I'm glad that she wants to see us again."

"Me too," both her sisters nodded.

"You okay now?" Phoebe asked. Piper nodded, smiling. "Good," Phoebe gently kissed her older sister's forehead, and Paige hugged her. "Are you ready to go hear what Leo has to tell us?" Piper nodded again.

The three sisters stood up and linked arms, then walked off to the kitchen where Leo was waiting.

-x-

The sisters returned to the kitchen, where Leo was making a pot of coffee. When he saw them enter, he looked up and smiled. He placed the coffee mugs on the table and sat down, the sisters following suit.

They sat in silence for a few moments, nursing their coffee. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige looked up at Leo expectantly. He studied their faces briefly, then began speaking. "Remember that charge I told you about? The girl who doesn't know she's a witch, but has powers?"

The three women nodded, and Leo continued. "Well...I saw her again today."

"Was she attacked?" Phoebe asked.

Before her husband answered, Piper interrupted. "Wait, you were with us all day. When did you have time to see a charge?"

Leo raised his eyebrows knowingly, and an expression of understanding suddenly appeared on Piper's face. "Oh...oh my god."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused glances. "What?" they asked.

"Pandora."

The two younger Halliwell sisters stared wide-eyed at Piper. After a few seconds of shocked silence, Paige flatly said, "I'll check the book." Niece or not, Paige had decided, Pandora was an innocent, and she had to be protected. And they had to go about it objectively, because not only did the girl not know she was a witch, but she also didn't know the Halliwells very well, and probably would not appreciate them constantly barging into her life. Even if the barging was for her protection.

Leo nodded. "I'll come with you," he said. The two stood slowly and walked out of the kitchen towards the attic. Phoebe and Piper remained sitting at the kitchen table next to one another. Both stared silently down into their coffee mugs, though the drinks were long forgotten.

Finally, Piper looked up and gazed at her younger sister. "Leo said she vanquished the last demon. But that doesn't mean there won't be more. Six months, Phoebe. She's had her powers for six months, and she's probably been being attacked by demons the whole time. And when we finally get to her, it's just because of some dumb prophecy? Because we want to get to know her? That's not right, Phoebe, it's just, it's not! We should have realized her powers would be unbound, that she'd be a target when Prue...we should have gotten to her sooner!" Though she had started speaking calmly enough, Piper was now hysterical.

Phoebe bit her lip, fighting back tears, as she pulled her older sister into a hug.

"I know," she said sadly. "I know."

-x-

"He was tall, and he wore this long dark coat. But he could shape shift. He started off...as a duck. It was the weirdest thing, there was a duck pond and he looked just like any of the ducks swimming around. But his eyes would glow red even as a duck."

Paige nodded silently, flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadow, as Leo described the demon to her. "Do you know what powers he had?" she asked.

"Fireballs, as usual. Oh and telekinesis. He threw me into a tree from across the field."

"Hmm," Paige nodded again, chewing on her lip. She continued looking through the book while Leo stood quietly a few feet away.

"Is this him?" She finally asked, hopefully. Leo stepped behind her and examined the page. Water Fowl Demons was written in large lettering across the top of the page. Below that were pictures of various ducks and geese, as well as men matching Leo's description.

"That...looks about right," he said quietly. The two continued reading the page. Water Fowl Demons typically look like harmless ducks and geese, but shape shift into human form for most of their demonic work. They usually find one water source (e.g., pond, lake, etc) to be their home for most of their lives. They cannot survive out of water for more than twenty-four hours. Upper-level demons, they work for the source and tend to target witches.

Paige groaned.

Leo pointed to the bottom of the page. "Pandora didn't actually vanquish the one that came after her."

Once vanquished, the demon's remains must be buried at least two feet underground and three yards from its home water source, or it will resurrect within seventy-two hours.

"How long ago did this thing come after her?" Paige asked.

"At least a week."

"Lovely. Just lovely."

A/N: Thanks for reading, y'all! Review, pleasepleaseplease? And always remember: you can run from love. But not in those heels.