A/N: I really don't feel like writing anything now... my computer's all screwed up, my dad did something to it while I was away a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I couldn't get any chapters of this up before because of it. This isn't a very strong chapter, but the next one is, so hopefully I'll be able to get that one up soon.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"That the last one?" Phoebe asked as Pam carried a cardboard box through the front door.

"Yep," Pam replied, putting it down on the floor.

"Well, I must say," Paige began, "I think this is a record move-in time for us." Not even a day had gone by since they'd decided they'd be safer in the Manor.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures," Phoebe muttered. "Why don't I get The Book so we can all make sure we didn't miss anything on saving Wyatt, and until then, you guys can help Mark, Josh, and Leo unpack?"

"Okay," Paige replied. Pam nodded in agreement. They each took off in different directions.

………………………………………

"When do we attack again?" Wyatt asked impatiently. He wasn't in a cage anymore. The evil inside him had already done its damage. The small pieces of the old Wyatt that were left could still think for him, but they were far too weak to regain control. And since the Charmed Ones were gone, Wyatt was essentially the most powerful being alive. For now, and probably for a while, he would be lost.

"We're not going to attack them again," the female Girene answered.

"Why not?" Wyatt asked.

"Because they'll be more than ready for us," the male Girene stated. "We should probably stay away from them for a while."

"So… what? We're just going to sit here and wait?" Wyatt asked.

"Of course not," the female Girene said. "We have our sights set on something much grander."

"What's that?" Wyatt asked.

"Going after the mortals," the male Girene grinned evilly.

……………………………………

"Well…" Paige yawned. "The Power of Three Spell doesn't say three sisters. Maybe any three witches can use it?"

"And come up with a result as powerful? I doubt it," Phoebe groaned. They had been at this for hours, checking every page of the Book of Shadows carefully. The severe letdown everyone had felt when Piper had died was fueling them to never say die on this issue… they couldn't bear to loose two Halliwells in such a short time. But even precise and meticulous searching was yielding no results.

"Well, maybe we should just keep it in mind. In case we have to use it as a last resort," Pam suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Phoebe looked at her watch. "We all need sleep. Chris already called it a night a half an hour ago. C'mon, up to bed." They rose slowly from the couch and walked across the hallway to the staircase.

……………………………………

Pam knocked on Chris' door.

"Hey…" she said, opening it a crack. She was carrying old bedsheets under her arm. "Um, there's really not enough space for my mom, Josh, Allie, and me all in one room. Do you mind if I crash on your floor?"

"Sure, whatever," Chris said groggily. He closed the book he'd been trying to focus on and put it on his nightstand. Pam laid the sheets out on the floor, and the overwhelming scent of moth balls filled the room. "Ugh, where did you find those?" Chris asked.

"I dunno, my mom pulled them out from somewhere," Pam answered, lying down. "Be happy you don't have to sleep with your nose right in them."

"Mmm." Chris turned off his lamp, and moonlight became the only illumination.

There was silence in the room for a minute. Pam was thinking of the thoughts she's read from Chris earlier that day. Even now, hours later, she could still tell that he felt worthless. Should she say something? Surely he'd get mad at her for reading his mind. But she couldn't let him suffer like that, could she? How would she even bring up the topic? She decided to take a casual comment and see if it led anywhere.

"You don't think they'll attack in the middle of the night, do you?" Pam asked.

"Maybe they will, maybe they won't," Chris said matter-of-factly. "Either way, we'll eventually be dead."

"Stop thinking like that," Pam encouraged. "If you think your life is worthless, you're going to act like fighting is worthless. What if you give up and let yourself be killed, only to find out later that if you'd only orbed away and met up with one of us, we could stop them?" Chris didn't answer. "You have to care, Chris. Once this is all over, things will go back to normal again. Remember that?"

"What if it doesn't? What if he kills us?" Chris asked pessimistically.

"Then we will see all our dead relatives and things will be exactly like they were a year ago… just better, because there'll be more of us. Sounds like a win-win situation to me."

"How do you always manage to immediately think of the positives in a situation?" Chris asked.

"My foster uncle used to play that Monty Python song a lot, you know the one. 'Always look on the bright side of life…'" Pam sang, although the answer was just a joke.

"Alright, alright, I get it," Chris interrupted. "I'd like to go to sleep now."

"Goodnight," Pam answered softly.

After that, she didn't know if Chris was really sleeping or not. As for her, she was wide awake, thinking about the possibility of not being able tomake Wyatt good again. So far, tthe only option that the family was discussing was trying to turn him. There was another one though, Pam dared to think. What if they had to kill him? She shuddered as she imagined a scene where she was forced to take her own cousin's life.

"I can't do it," she thought to herself. "I'll never be able to do something so horrible."