Paige orbed out seconds before the energy ball exploded, scorching the couch and setting the Christmas tree alight. Cole spun quickly in the direction of the attack and threw his own energy ball in retaliation. The demon was too slow and exploded, screaming in agony.

'Phoebe, Piper demon attack now' Paige yelled, ducking the energy ball from the new demon that had shimmered in beside Cole, and planting an elbow in the face of the Warlock who had sneakily blinked in behind her. The Warlock stumbled back right in to the path of Phoebe who had come running from the kitchen. She rabbit punched him to the jaw, and Johnny finished him off with a heavy blow to the back of the head with the Book of Shadows. The Warlock slumped to the floor unconscious, and Cole obliterated him with a vicious flame.

'Now that's what I call teamwork' Phoebe grinned in satisfaction.

'Yeah that's us one perfectly functioning team' Paige zinged back.

'Duck' Phoebe instructed suddenly.

'What?' Paige asked, screwing up her face in confusion.

'Duck' Phoebe repeated, pushing Paige to the floor as Cole's energy ball whizzed above their heads and took out the demon that had been poised to blow them both to hell.

'Phew, that was a close one.' Phoebe exclaimed, getting up quickly and glancing around to ensure that there weren't any more attacks imminent.

'A little too close' Paige muttered, casting a confused look in Cole's direction as she struggled to get to her feet. She just couldn't figure him out. Before she'd been so sure that he was evil. The trick with the book was just that a trick. Now though she wasn't so sure. The stuff he'd said earlier had kinda made sense, and it almost seemed like he was trying to help her. After all he had just saved her life but then again that could just be part of his bigger plan, he could be playing her. I t wasn't like he hadn't tried something like that before. She frowned, irritated by the feeling of confusion but soon relaxed her features in to a smile when Johnny stepped forward and offered her his hand. 'Thanks' she said gratefully as he helped her to her feet. 'And nice moves on that warlock by the way.'

'Thanks' Johnny bobbed his head in acknowledgement.

'Okay we need to speed things up a little, before Taric's forces have a chance to re-group' Phoebe said decisively. It was weird, but the threat of the attack had snapped her out of her trance. When Paige had called for help she'd reacted instinctively. All that training she and Cole had done had come to her rescue yet again. She glanced at him and then quickly looked away, turning to Paige instead 'so did the three of you make any progress with the shield?'

'Erm, well…' Paige began hesitantly.

'Okay I'm here, I'm ready, let me at 'em' Piper gasped, a little out of breath, as she burst in to the room making everyone jump. Eagerly she scanned the room looking for something to fight, then lowered her hands in disappointment when she realised it was just her sisters, Johnny and Cole. 'What it's over? I missed it?' She asked in disbelief. 'Ya couldn't have saved me one lousy demon, you knew I was on my way.'

'I'm sorry honey it all happened so fast' Phoebe explained apologetically. 'We kinda just had to react. You know what it's like in the heat of battle when the adrenalin's pumpin' and you're in the moment, you just have to go with it.'

'I guess' Piper admitted sulkily, still struggling to catch her breath. 'But I still think you could have saved me a little action after I made all that effort to get in here. It's no fun running for two you know.'

'Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you'll get your chance, I doubt that's the last demon attack we gonna see tonight' Johnny consoled her.

'Huh. You know I hadn't thought of that' Piper acknowledged. 'But now I do think about it, I think you're right.' She grinned, brightening up considerably at the possibility of more action.

Phoebe frowned not appreciating Piper's gung ho attitude, and wishing now that she'd persuaded Piper to sit this one out with the Elders. She should have insisted, but she hadn't and now Piper and the baby were at risk. Until Leo got back Piper was officially grounded and that meant that she was a target. She couldn't believe that she'd let this happen. She would never have made such a dumb mistake if she hadn't been so distracted by Cole and her feelings for him.

She looked at him again, this time allowing her gaze to linger. He was standing off on his own staring moodily out of the window. Just looking at him made her heart somersault in her rib cage. She wanted him; there was no denying it. He must have sensed her eyes on him, because he turned and looked at her questioningly. Those dark eyes of his seemed to bore in to her very soul. How she wished she could just run over there and give in to her need for him, just lose herself in his love.

'We'd better get ready' Cole said suddenly, snapping Phoebe out of her reverie 'that was just the beginning, there'll be more where they came from.'

'Cole's right.' Phoebe admitted, dragging her thoughts back to the job at hand. 'We don't have a lot of time. So Paige, the shield, any progress?'

Paige looked a little sheepish 'Well not exactly, it's just that well…'

Before she could finish the sentence, two demons shimmered in to the centre of the room and sent energy balls heading straight for Piper. She rolled her eyes, and casually gestured with both hands. The energy balls froze in midair three feet away. 'Is that it?' she asked her sisters disparagingly. 'Weeks of warming the bench and when I finally get back in the game that's all I get?' She moved to blow them up.

'May I?' Paige asked. 'I could use the practice, my aim's been a little off lately.'

Piper shrugged, already bored with the demons. What she needed was a real threat, something to get her teeth in to. It'd been so long since she'd been in the thick of the action and she missed it. She missed that feeling of danger, of feeling alive, of feeling like she made a difference. It would be good to get back to her old self, or as close to it as she could get whilst eight months pregnant 'be my guest.'

Paige held out her hands 'energy balls.'

Obediently an energy ball appeared in each of her hands. She turned to aim them at the frozen demons. Before she could let fly the demons unfroze.

'Oh, oh' Piper muttered. 'Looks like they're fighting through my freezes.'

'It must be because the shield's down' Paige suggested helpfully.

'Paige, the demons' Piper reminded her, raising her hands just in case, as both demons bore down on her.

'Oh right, sorry.' Paige threw the energy balls taking out the demons, but not before one had let loose his own energy ball at Piper. Too slow to react, Piper was hit, and flew through the air landing unceremoniously on the couch.

'Oh my God Piper, are you alright?' Phoebe yelled in alarm, rushing over to her.

'Yeah' Piper grimaced, struggling to sit up 'indestructible remember.' She tried again to get up, but only succeed in sinking deeper in to the soft confines of the couch. 'Hey you know I could use a little help here' she admonished, waving her hands at her sisters.

'Oh' Phoebe said, finally getting it. She took hold of Piper's left arm; Paige came over and took her right arm, and with some effort they hauled Piper to her feet.

'I'm really sorry Piper' Paige said anxiously, aware that she'd screwed up yet again. 'I wasn't expecting them to unfreeze that fast.'

'Forget it' Piper brushed the apology away. 'Who knew the shield would affect our powers that much.'

'So four demons and one Warlock, do you think that was it?' Phoebe asked hopefully.

Piper looked around her at the devastation that was the lounge 'I sure hope so I don't think the furniture can take any more abuse. We just got that clock repaired last week, and oh would ya look at the tree.'

They all turned to stare at the very sorry looking Christmas tree, which was now smouldering gently. Phoebe shook her head in dismay 'Poor tree, I knew we shoulda got a fake one.'

'Oh really, well next year missy you can be the head of the decorating committee' Paige said indignantly. It had taken her a week to deck out the Manor for the holidays and now all her hard work was ruined.'

'Oh honey I didn't mean it like that' Phoebe said apologetically.

'I put a lot of work in to making this place look nice for the holidays' Paige said huffily. 'The least you could do is show a little appreciation.'

'We do appreciate it Paige' Piper assured her 'it's just that well you know subtlety isn't exactly your forte, and with the amount of demon attacks we get around here, that many decorations really is asking for trouble.'

'It's Christmas' Paige protested. 'It's the season of excess, too much food, too many presents, too many decorations. Christmas isn't meant to be subtle it's meant to be gaudy and over the top.'

'Not in this house it's not. In this house Christmas is simple and stylish and easy to keep clean' Piper argued. She threw up her hands in despair 'I feel like I'm living in the middle of Santa's grotto.'

'Yeah if Santa had gone psycho and killed all the elves and trashed all the presents maybe' Phoebe added, looking at the mess in dismay. It would take hours to clear all this up, and she still had a shield to re-power, a demon to vanquish, a club to decorate and an advice column to write.

'Er hmm' Cole cleared his throat impatiently. 'When you three are finished with the decorating talk, we've got company. I er think the bad guys are ready for round two.'

Startled Phoebe turned around. Sure enough Cole was right. Whilst they had been standing looking at the tree, and arguing over the décor, demons and warlocks had quietly shimmered and blinked in behind them. Phoebe counted at least twenty bad guys all poised to attack. 'Oh boy' she muttered under her breath as she instinctively slipped in to a fighting stance.