Next chappy is up! And chuffy I'm 18 :) Thankyou so much for your reviews they've really kept me going! Here's the next chapter for you maybe it'll clear a few things up or it might just confuse you more! Either way, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Evil afoot.

In a dark sanctuary in the Underworld, a demon stood before a council of his kind. A long black coat flowed behind him and his coffee-coloured fists were clenched at his sides. Black curls fell over his shadowy face and beneath them red, snake-like eyes were narrow with concentration. He looked at each council member in turn, waiting for them to say something. Finally, he tilted his head up a little and stared at the leader.

"It will-"

"It will not work." The leader, a demon known as Kern, regarded the demon with his black eyes, long fangs protruding over his bottom lip. "Your intentions are justifiable, Anox, but your plan is foolish at best."

"But master," Anox protested, straightening up to defend himself, "They have no whitelighter. They are as vulnerable as they have ever been. We must-"

"The youngest sister is a whitelighter, is she not?" another of the council interrupted.

"She cannot heal!" Anox cried.

"But the child can," Kern said, his voice hard yet calm, "He has saved his mother before and his powers grow stronger every day." Anox hung his head. He had not thought of the magical child. "Besides," the leader continued, "You would never get close enough to them. No demon ever has."

"That is not entirely true." From the shadows, a cloaked woman emerged, or rather floated a foot or so off of the ground towards the council. Long auburn hair fell poker-straight down her back and her eyes were pure white in colour.

"Who dares enter this council unannounced?" Kern demanded, his voice thundering throughout the cave.

"Someone who wishes only to help," the woman replied. She glanced at Anox then turned her attention back to the council. Her eyes changed colour, now a deep brown and relatively normal-looking. "The Charmed Ones have one weakness," she stated, "They are but mortal women."

"We know this," another demon from the council spat, "Do not mock us."

"Let her finish," Kern said. He looked at the woman and narrowed his black eyes dangerously. "Al though if she does not get to the point…"

The woman nodded, lowering herself so her feet now touched the ground. "I have a plan," she said, "If it please you, let me tell you it."

"I was here first," Anox growled, "They are still discussing my-"

"You will not be forgotten," the woman said her voice calm and steady, "I will need your help." Anox growled a little but took a step back. The woman looked at the leader, who nodded for her to continue. "You say that never has a demon gotten close to the witches. I say, there was one. His name was-" She stopped and narrowed her eyes at the council who had started to snigger amongst themselves, the leader too. "If it pleases you all," the woman said, a hint of anger in her calm voice, "I have not yet got to the punch line."

"We know of who you speak," Kern explained, putting his hand up to silence the council members, "The demon Belthazor, yes?" The woman nodded. "Who has been dead for almost four years now, vanquished by the Charmed Ones he got so close to."

"Yes but-"

"And then he became the Source, did he not? And was vanquished again by his Charming wife no less!" Kern continued, his tone hardening, "And then, even when he escaped from the Astral Plane more powerful than any demon there has ever been, he was still vanquished by the very same witches that vanquished him twice before!" The cave went silent as Kern stared at the she-demon, his eyes hard. The woman stared straight back at him, not wavering for a moment. She took a deep breath and smiled slightly.

"This is all very true," she said, "And yet, after being vanquished three times, he is not yet dead. His soul, his human soul, lives on in Limbo. My plan, is to set that soul free."

---

After calling the Bay Mirror and putting Phoebe back to bed, Piper headed out to P3 to do a stock take. Not her favourite job in the world but someone had to do it. Pulling up outside her club, she noticed the front door was ajar. She frowned and got out, locking the car behind her and entering the club, her hands up at the ready. "Hello?" she said, "Who's in here?" As she got to the stairs and could see the bar, she sighed heavily and dropped her hands. "Leo what are you doing here?"

Leo looked up from the mound of glasses he was washing and smiled at Piper. "Hey," he said, "I thought I'd come and help you."

"You broke in here?" Piper said, going towards the bar, "Leo what if someone saw you and called the cops! How would you explain that exactly?"

"I was just trying to help."

Piper sighed and looked at her husband. He had that look on his face, the 'last puppy in the store at Christmas' look and she couldn't stay angry at him. "I know," she said gently, going around the bar to him and hugging him. Looking up into his eyes she smiled and planted a kiss on his lips to show that everything was okay. He smiled back then turned back to the glasses and picked one up to dry it.

"I was thinking," he said.

"Sounds dangerous," Piper jested back, putting her coat and bag on top of the bar and leaning against it. Leo rolled his eyes and she gestured for him to continue.

"I was thinking, why don't you start working here again full time?" he said, looking over at her. Piper cocked her head at him. "And I could stay at home with the boys?" Leo continued, "You know, make up for the time I lost while I was an Elder." The very mention of it seemed to cast a sad look over his eyes and he looked hopefully at Piper, who seemed to be extremely interested in her note pad. "Piper?"

"Hmm?" She looked over at him. "Oh right…uh…well you know….uh…" Leo sighed. He knew exactly what was going on.

"You think that because I don't have any powers I won't be able to protect them, don't you?" he said, the hurt obvious in his voice.

"No!" Piper cried, looking up at him, "No Leo it's not that it's just…" She sighed. "I just don't want anything to happen to you or the boys that's all." Leo nodded, looking back at the dirty glasses. It was almost heart breaking for Piper to see him look so crushed. "Look," she said, putting the note pad down and going towards him, "I'll think about it okay? But I don't really want to be a full time career gal like Phoebe. I would rather be a full time mom." She smiled gently at the thought of it and as he turned to look at her he smiled too. Pulling her into a hug, he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you Piper," he whispered.

"I love you too, Leo."

Aww Leo and Piper are so cute :) Please review!