Next chapter is up and running and now the story really gets started hehe. Sorry if it's taken a while but it's all worth it (I hope!) Oh yeah I forget to keep doing the disclaimer thing; basically I don't own Charmed.

To Kylie: No no no please keep reading and reviewing! (That goes for everyone else too :p) Hopefully this chapter will clear up a few confusions but no, the woman is not Prue as she isn't going to feature in this fic; sorry all Prue fans!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Old faces.

Phoebe rolled over in bed onto her back and blew a strand of hair out of her face. After being tucked up in bed by Piper with some relaxing music and a cup of chamomile tea, she had tried desperately to fall asleep. All attempts failing however, she was now bored out of her mind. She got out of bed, clutching the cup in her hand. On her way down to the kitchen, she poked her head around the door of the nursery where Piper had put Wyatt and Chris down for their naps. Wyatt was sitting up in his cot playing with his toys and Chris was sound asleep. With a contented smile, Phoebe took one of the baby monitors from the side and went downstairs. Sitting at the table, she began the age-old ritual of staring into space. Her mind wandered and she started thinking about the nightmares. If only they would progress, she thought to herself with a sigh, So I could see more. Find out who the hooded figure is. She also had no idea of the time frame of the premonition. Everything in the attic looked the same as it did now, making her think that it would occur in the not too distant future. With a somber sigh, Phoebe put the cup down and rested her chin on her hand. Her ritual was soon interrupted however by swirling blue orbs and the figure of Paige appearing, her back to Phoebe.

"Hmm," the youngest sister said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. She held out her hand. "Bagel." She grinned as the doughy delight appeared in her hand and she took a bite.

"So personal gain," Phoebe remarked with a sideways smile. Paige spun around and narrowed her eyes at Phoebe.

"So spying on me," she retorted with a mouthful of bagel. Phoebe laughed and as Paige swallowed, she sat down opposite her sister and tilted her head to one side. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?" she asked her. Phoebe sighed and nodded her head. Paige's face instantly softened and she reached out to rub Phoebe's hand. "What did Piper say when you told her about the nightmares?"

"That I should have told her sooner," Phoebe replied, looking down at the pair's hands, "She also thinks the hooded figure may be a demon." Paige nodded and Phoebe looked up at her. She could almost see the clogs ticking in the young whitelighter's head and she couldn't help but smile.

"Have you checked the Book?" Paige asked her.

"For what?" Phoebe replied with a sigh, "I don't see anything. And I don't think 'mysterious hooded figure' is going to come up with many answers." Paige nodded slowly again and took another bite of her bagel. Putting it down on the table, she regarded Phoebe.

"Maybe you could…Brendan?"

Phoebe raised an eyebrow at Paige. "Brendan? I'm confused."

"My charge," Paige explained a perplexed look on her face, "He sounds scared. Why can I still hear him though I thought he wasn't my charge anymore?"

"Okay sweetie you're babbling," Phoebe laughed, "Why don't you just go and-"

"I better go and see him." With that, Paige orbed out and Phoebe slumped back in her chair. She ran a hand back through her hair and eyed the bagel. Reaching over, she grabbed it and took a bite.

---

"Agreed. Go now."

The auburn haired woman smiled and bowed slightly. She turned around and walked out of the cave giving Anox a cursory glance as she did so. He growled in anger and followed her out.

"That was my meeting," he snarled at her.

"Shut up," she retorted, spinning around and glaring at him, "Follow me." With that, she fazed out. Anox let out a low growl and looked around. Seeing no one else in the vicinity, he shimmered out after her, reappearing in a dark chamber lit only by candle light. In the centre of it stood the woman, her back to the demon.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"My name is Syam," she replied, turning around to face him. Her eyes were pure white. "I am a seer." Anox looked at her skeptically. He had never met a seer before but had heard rumours about their power to manipulate and deceive in order to better themselves.

"What do you want with the Charmed Ones?" he asked her, "The last seer to mess with those witches got herself, and the Source, vanquished." The sides of Syam's mouth twitched slightly and she turned away from the demon and went to a large chest in one corner of the room.

"She was foolish," she remarked, opening the chest, "She thought she could take on the Power of Three whilst carrying a baby that was not meant for her." Anox thought he heard the tone of disdain in her voice but said nothing. "I on the hand," she continued, "Am not a fool." From the chest, she pulled out a few tattered papers, slightly yellow in colour and with a thud closed the chest again, holding the papers protectively in her arms.

"That does not answer my question," Anox said, taking a few strides towards the seer, "What do you want with the Charmed Ones?" For the first time in their conversation, Syam looked Anox straight in the eye. She seemed to be studying him, deciding where he was worthy enough to know her plan. It seemed he wasn't.

"Do you know what these are?" she asked him, holding the papers out to him. He shook his head. "They are pages from the Grimoire." This was met with a scoff.

"Impossible," Anox protested, "It was lost years ago, after the Source was killed. The witches hid it-"

"But not well enough, it would seem." Her tone was harsh and for a moment her eyes flashed red in colour, making Anox instinctively conjure a fireball in his hand. This made Syam smirk. "I am a seer," she said, speaking as one would to a small child, "That will not kill me." Putting out one of her slender hands, Anox started to float upwards. As she twisted her hand, his own went to his throat and his eyes bulged.

"Stop!" he gasped out, glaring at her. She only smirked back and slowly began to clench her fist. His snake-like eyes bulged more and he started to kick his legs. "Stop, please!" Syam smirked again and dropped her hand to her side, leaving Anox to fall in a crumpled, gasping heap on the floor.

"I am far more powerful than you," she stated, going to large stone table on one side of the room and laying the papers down. Also on the table were a small cauldron and various bags of what looked to Anox like potion ingredients. The table had strange markings carved into it and an assortment of vials and potion bottles. "Tell me again what kind of demon you are?" she asked him, taking a pinch from one of the bags and sprinkling it into the cauldron.

"Chameleon," he replied gruffly, slowly getting to his feet. He blinked his snake-like eyes as he watched her. "From that breed anyway." In fact, he was a more advanced form than your average as he also had the power not only to impersonate his victims but also to possess them. The power of shimmering and the conjuration of fireballs had come from a demon he recently possessed and stole powers from. Syam nodded and reached into her cloak. She pulled out an athame and turned to look at him.

"I need your blood," she stated. He looked warily at her. "For the potion. I need the blood of a demon."

"You haven't even told me what the potion is for," he protested, going towards her and looking in the cauldron. That was the opportunity the seer needed. Grabbing his hand with the swiftness of a fox, she sliced across it and held it over the cauldron as he yelled out in pain. Three drops fell and she let go. He stumbled backwards and glared at her.

"You will pay for that." With one last growl, he shimmered out. Syam rolled her deep brown eyes.

"Demons," she muttered to herself placing the athame down beside the cauldron. She grabbed a handful of dust from another bag and sprinkled it in. The potion started to smoke slightly and she closed her eyes, placing her hands over it. Her hands started to glow white and she started chanting. The pages from the Grimoire quivered slightly and then they too began to glow a bright white as she chanted.

---

Paige materialized in a dingy apartment somewhere in downtown San Francisco. It looked like it had been burgled or something as chairs were tipped over and she could see smashed glass on the floor.

"Oh thank god!" A blonde haired young man emerged from behind the sofa and went over to Paige. He was obviously terrified and as he grabbed her hand she felt it shaking.

"Brendan what's-"

"He said he was my whitelighter," Brendan cried, "But you are, right?"

"Brendan I don't-"

"He's trying to trick me isn't he? He's a demon or something and he's trying…oh god he wants to kill me!"

"Okay Brendan calm down," said Paige, soothingly rubbing his hand, "Who is 'he'?"

Brendan looked over the brunettes shoulder and pointed a shaky finger. Frowning and ready to orb the heck out of there, Paige looked over her shoulder. What…or rather who she saw made her freeze.

"Oh my…Kyle?" The thin, dark haired figure of Kyle Brody stared back at her, his face equally as shocked as hers. Tears sprung to the young witch's eyes and she dropped Brendan's hand and turned completely around to face the former cop.

"How-" She barely got the word out when she was engulfed in orbs and disappeared.

---

Fire. Darkness. Attic…Babies crying…

"No!" Phoebe's head shot up and she looked around her. She was panting for breath and for a moment didn't know where she was; until it registered that she was in the kitchen and must have fallen asleep at the table. Rubbing her eyes groggily, she sighed deeply, thinking back on the nightmare that had again invaded her mind. This time however, there were crying babies.

"Crying babies?" Phoebe repeated to herself. Dropping her hands to the table, she frowned when she realized she could still hear the sound of a disgruntled child. Then it clicked. The baby monitor. "Wyatt, Chris." Jumping up, the over-protective auntie rushed upstairs to the nursery, only to find Chris still fast asleep and Wyatt standing up in his cot and looking at her, tears violating his clear eyes. "Oh sweetie what's wrong?" said Phoebe going in and picking him up. She bounced him gently and it seemed to sooth him. "Tell Auntie Phoe-" She was interrupted by a loud thump upstairs. Wyatt started to sniffle again and Phoebe turned around. She could see the attic door was ajar and slowly put Wyatt back in his cot. She then picked up the sleeping Chris and laid him beside his older brother, knowing Wyatt's force field would protect them both. "Stay here," she whispered and her eldest nephew nodded in understanding. Phoebe left the nursery and quietly closed the door behind her. Adrenaline pumped through her, making her forget that she didn't even know what the thump had been and that she was still in her pjs. As she reached the stairs she took a deep breath and went up, fists clenched at her side. She pushed the door fully open and took half a step in. What she saw made her blood run cold. Lying in the middle of the attic on his back was a man in a black suit and open white shirt, dark-almost black-messy hair on his head. His eyes were pinched closed and he was twitching slightly, as if in pain or in discomfort. Phoebe felt herself swaying slightly and her stomach turned. The man opened his eyes a little and turned his head slowly to look at Phoebe. Confused grey-green eyes met with terrified hazel browns and Phoebe felt her breath catch in her throat. She blinked and tried to focus but her vision was blurring and she stumbled slightly sideways into the doorframe.

"Cole?" The word was barely uttered when she slid down the frame and everything went dark.

SHOCK HORROR Who could have seen that coming! Hehe hope this chapter wasn't too long for you, please review!