"Yo! Caroline, order up!" Chris reminded their best waitress. So far, it had been a busy night at Yummies, and Chris' late night was beginning to show in his short temper.

"I know, Chris!" Caroline sighed angrily. "Geez, I do have other tables, you know. What is with you tonight? You've been crabbier than Wyatt during tax season."

"Yeah, sorry, Caro. Really late night last night. I was up all night with Reilly."

"Reilly? What is, he another of your cousins?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"No. He's actually my son."

Caroline dropped the glass of wine she's just poured for table six. "YOUR WHAT?"

"My son. Look, it's a long, complicated story, alright?"

"Magical?" she asked softly.

Chris sent her his trademark grin. "What? There was any doubts?"

With a toss of her red, curly hair, she grabbed the order and loaded it onto a huge serving tray. "I'll be back for details!" She warned, as she swung through the door to the dining room.

Chris turned back to his cooking station with a grin. Not for the first time, he was glad he and Wyatt made a point of hiring mostly magical staff to work at Yummies. It made things difficult occasionally, but overall worked out wonderfully. It was a policy they'd adopted after being open only a week. As the sons of the eldest Charmed One, they were constantly on demon radar. On the fifth day of business a group of dark lighters had black orbed in. Naturally, they did it in the kitchens, as evil was just as wary of exposing magic as good. Chris easily vanquished the group, but not before the entire staff had seen it happen. One by one, they quit, leaving the restaurant with no employees, except one- Caroline.

After speaking with her in detail, they had learned that while she had no active power, she was a practicing Wiccan, and fully believed in the supernatural. Through her, they had spread word that Yummies welcomed the offbeat employee. The main requirement was an open mind, and anything else could be taught.

At last count, Yummies currently employed six Wiccans, including Caroline, without active powers, a Soothsayer, an empath, a fire starter, two telekinetics, a trio of brothers whom were gifted shapeshifters, and a snotty seventeen-year-old conjurer.

Each employee offered their own talents to the blend that made Yummies so successful. The empath was their hostess, Jewel. She used her talents to suit the customers' moods to a table setting. For example, if they were bored, she seated them in the ballroom where there was a band or comedian every night. If they were tired or just having a bad day, she seated them in the ultra-plush fireplace lounge. Families were seated in the "Caboose", a kid-friendly room with a train motif and a working model train that circled the room every four minutes. Singles and other young adults were seated in the bar room where they could mingle freely. Together the four rooms created an atmosphere that everyone felt comfortable in.

Mark, Chris' head sous-chef was the fire starter. He and Wyatt had cooked up an elaborate charade that allowed him to openly use his fire power in public. Every Friday night, Mark created a literal BARbecue. He set the bartop on fire, and used it as a cooking surface. Since Wyatt has cast an anti-burn spell on the bar, it never burned. What was true magic appeared to the human eye as an elaborate special effect.

Chris yawned, turning back to his Lemon Crusted chicken with honey pecan rice. As much as every employee knew that Chris and Wyatt were magical prodigies, they also knew that pure magic also occurred every time Chris Halliwell picked up a saucepan. Each and every item on Yummies' extensive, twelve page menu was created by Chris. His brilliance combined with Wyatt's sharp business sense had struck pure gold. In less than eighteen months, Yummies had gone from being a local hole in the wall, to an international phenomenon!

Chris looked up at the sounds of orbing.

"Hey, cuz. You need any help?" Peyton asked quickly.

Chris grinned, recognizing the look on her face. "Sure, you can start rinsing plates if you want." Peyton crinkled her nose, but headed to the sink. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're going to do dishes? Alright, who'd you piss off, Pey?"

"PEYTON!" Wyatt's voice roared through the kitchen as his orbs touched down. He wore jeans and a T-shirt as usual, but had an ill-fitting ball cap tucked onto his head.

"Oh, crap." Peyton whispered, shifting to be partly behind Chris.

"Oh crap? Oh, CRAP? That's all you can say? Peyton, look at this!" Wyatt angrily yanked his cap off.

Chris immediately started laughing. Wyatt's normally groomed to perfection hair was waves of blue, green, red and purple, and stuck out in all directions. He coughed, trying unsuccessfully to stop at Wyatt's angry glare. "P…prank or sp…spell gone wrong?" He asked, choking on his laughter.

Peyton sighed. "A spell. I'm sorry, Wyatt. I didn't mean to do it!"

"Don't apologize, just fix it! Damn it, I've got a breakfast meeting tomorrow with the developer for our Vegas branch. I can't do that looking like a refugee from clown college!" Wyatt ranted.

"I don't know how I did it! If I did, I would have already fixed it!" Peyton cried out.

"Okay, okay. Everyone calm down. Pey, try to think. What spell did you use?"

"I was trying to change my orbs."

"Why? Please tell me you weren't planning on going undercover as a dark lighter." Chris went pale at the thought.

"No, of course not. I'm not stupid, Chris! I just…wanted to be special, I guess. Future you had really cool gold orbs. So, I thought I could make some purple orbs for me. Just to stand out."

"What, being part of our personal circus isn't enough for you?" Wyatt snorted.

"Shut up, Wyatt! You don't know anything about being the average witch in a family of over achievers because you've always been the Twice Blessed Witch. You walk into any room with another magical creature, and they automatically know who you are, and respect you. And now, Phyra's turning out to be the same as you. Powerful beyond belief! So, I just figured, if I can't be powerful, then I'll just make myself different." Peyton shot back defiantly.

"Average? Pey, sweetie, did you really just call yourself average?" Chris flicked off the stove top and knelt down in front of her.

"It's true! Chris, all I do is control water. Big deal! So I can create a waterfall. Yippy Skippy."Her voice was glum. "Phy has the cool fire power, plus she can move things by blowing on them, and now she can heal or kill by aging people. Not to mention the connection she's got with you guys! C'mon, Chris, I'm older than she is, and I can't even heal yet!"

"Pey, you heard Phy's future self- you'll get them all soon." Wyatt insisted.

"When? In ten years when I'm too old to appreciate them?"

"Hey! That would only make you 25, Pey. I'm 24- not old at all." Chris protested.

"Whatever. It doesn't change that I still can't control the powers I already have. I'm part white lighter, but I can't sense, can't heal. Geez, I haven't even met an elder other than Uncle Leo."

Chris and Wyatt snorted in unison. Both had met more elders than they cared to think about. "Trust me, Pey. You aren't missing anything there." Wyatt announced dryly.

"Look, Pey, you're probably right. You should be able to heal and sense by now. Have you tried?" Chris asked reasonably.

"How can I? I can't heal myself, no white lighter can. And no one else ever let's me try. They always call you guys or Uncle Leo. Besides, I don't know how."

Chris and Wyatt exchanged a look. "Well, let's find out, then, shall we?" Chris asked picking up a large kitchen knife. "Just concentrate on making it better, ok, Peyton?" Chris told her in a quiet, serious voice that automatically gained attention.

"Making what b…CHRIS!" Peyton yelled as Chris plunged the knife deep into his side.

"Peyton…you heard him. Try to heal." Wyatt urged.

"But…but I know if I can… I don't know how."

"Just try, Pey. If you can't do it, I will, but only if you try first." Wyatt's voice was calm. After 26 years of fighting demons and helping to heal the families various injuries, he'd created quite an eye for them. While Chris' self inflicted wound looked nasty and bled like hell, it was really a fairly innocent injury. He knew, due to their link, that Chris was purposely keeping his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.

"O..Okay." Peyton shakily knelt beside Chris. "Come on, Chris. I have to heal you. You've gotta help me fix Wy's hair. Aunt Piper will blow me up if you die, and Wy has to go to your funeral with rainbow hair!" During her litany, she'd laid her hands over his stomach. She was so busy talking she didn't notice the healing glow under her hands. "Besides, seriously Chris…I don't care if I can heal or not. You stabbed yourself. Have you ever considered that you need therapy. I mean, how crazy are you? I swear if you live, I'm taking you to the first magical shrink I can find. Maybe there's one in the Book of Sha…"

"PEYTON! Shut up and look!" Wyatt interrupted in exasperation.

Peyton looked and shrieked happily. "Oh my God! I did it! I healed!" She hopped up and danced in a small circle. Chris smiled as he watched from the floor.

"See…I guess you're not so average after all, kid." Wyatt spoke quietly.

"I know. Look, I'm sorry, okay, Wy? I was just mad. I was at school, and there's this boy…Rocky. He's a telekinetic shape shifter, and he's always been really nice and cool. He asked me out last week, but I was still grounded, so I told him that I'd go this week. Then today he just went all…ooky. He wanted me to show him my powers. So I did, I moved the water from the pond to the yard, then froze it, and put it back. Then I orbed out, and came back in behind him. Then this other kid, Donnie, comes over and he's like, 'hey is that it? My parents said you people were all-powerful.' So I said I hadn't gotten all my powers yet, but that if he wanted to see powers, I'd be glad to introduce you guys to him. Then Rocky and Donnie both laughed at me and Rocky said that since witch/white lighters aren't forbidden anymore, orbing is nothing special, and that any elemental can control water. Then he said not to bother calling him again until I got some real powers. Then they left and when they were walking away, Rocky said I must've been adopted, cuz even my baby sister has more powers than I do. Then Donnie said that maybe…maybe Rocky should go ask her out!" Peyton was crying by the time she was finished.

"Chris- everyone is gone, so I just locked up. Do you want me to start on the plates, or start with the dining rooms? Oh, sorry! Did I interrupt?" Caroline stopped in the doorway.

"Uh, actually, Caro, we had a situation arise here. Can you, Mark and Robbie handle the clean up?" Chris asked while cuddling Peyton close in a hug.

"Sure, that is, as long as my bosses' will approve my overtime." She teased playfully.

Chris laughed. "You'll have to talk to the money man here. Meet us at the Manor, Wy." Without another word, he orbed Peyton and himself away.

Caroline turned to Wyatt and stared. "Wow…nice hair, boss man."

Wyatt's blue gaze turned stormy. "Don't push it, Carol. Take all the OT you need. Seriously, I don't know what we'd do without you. Thanks!" Wyatt orbed out.

An invisible demon stepped out of the shadows and into Caroline's body. "Oh no, Wyatt. Thank you." Caroline's eyes flashed bright red before turning back to blue again.

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"My spell is right here. It was supposed to change orbs though, not hair!" Peyton handed Chair a piece of crumpled notepaper.

"'Magic not strong

Right the wrong

My orbs to distant places too

Make them red or purple or navy blue.' Pey, this shouldn't have done anything to Wyatt. Did you use a potion to go with it?" Chris asked quickly. He wanted to fix Wyatt's hair so they could get back to Pey's problems at Magic School.

"No, I just said the spell, then burned it on the silver plate."

"Damn! I was using that plate last night. The spell called for strands of hair. One must have been left of the plate, and that's what turned my hair." Wyatt muttered.

"So it wasn't all my fault?" Peyton asked hopefully.

"No, not totally." Chris answered absently. "Ok, this should work. You two hold hands and read this spell worded backwards, then put a piece of your hair, Wy, and burn the spell on it."

Wyatt looked skeptical, but still grabbed Pey's hand and chanted with her. "Blue navy or purple red them make. Too places distant orbs my. Wrong the Right. Strong not Magic." As they burned the paper, Peyton sighed happily in relief as Wyatt's hair turned back to blond.

"Yes! Thanks, Chris!" She hugged him tightly and started to run out of the attic. Both Wyatt and Chris stopped her.

"We need to talk, Pey. About the Magic School thing." Wyatt said seriously.

"Why? I was stupid to trust him, I know that. I shouldn't have let one dumb boy make me feel bad."

"True, but I'm a little more concerned with how interested those two are in yours and Phy's powers. " Chris added.

"Oh come on! They just like us. Or did anyway. You don't have to worry. It's not like either of us are going to have sex with them."

Both Wyatt and Chris swallowed hard and tried hard not to think about that. "It's not…sex…we're worried about. It's demons. I mean, all of a sudden, Rocky turns stupid, and this other kid shows up at the exact same time as the Source wants to kill us all? It's a little convenient."

"They're not demons. They're students. Geez, Chris, you're getting paranoid."

"Maybe I am, but I still want to check with dad on this. He's a teacher there, he'll know what's going on with them, if they're legit or not."

Peyton huffed and sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll ask him about it tomorrow."

"We'll all go ask right now." Wyatt and Chris said in unison.

Peyton rolled her eyes, but followed them out of the attic.

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"Dad! Dad!" Chris strode through the hallway, his long legs eating the large expanse easily.

"Chris! What is it?" Leo's voice called from behind his and Piper's door.

Chris opened the door urgently. "Dad, we need info on…Oh My God!" He quickly backed up, into an equally stunned and horrified Wyatt.

A few moments later, Leo orbed in front of the door, wearing only a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned, opened shirt. "Chris, damn it, you're twenty four years old. Haven't you learned yet that 'what is it' isn't the same as 'come in'?"

"Dad. Please, no lecture. After what I just saw, I think it's safe to say I've suffered enough. I'm sorry." Chris rose his voice enough to be heard through the door. "Sorry, mom!"

"Oh, EW! You walked in on your parents. Dude, that's nasty." Peyton exclaimed with a grimace.

Leo sighed heavily. "What's going on guys?"

"Pey had a run in with a couple of punk kids at Magic School today. It sounds fishy. Do you know either Rocky or Donnie?" Wyatt briefly explained.

Leo's face visibly darkened. "You had a run in with them today, Pey?"

"Yeah. But, really, it's no big deal, Uncle Leo. Wyatt and Chris are just getting paranoid."

"No, they're not. Both Rocky & Donnie were expelled from Magic School yesterday. I got a memo about it today. They were using black magic."

"But…how could they have gotten in today then?" Chris was concerned, and felt the goosebumps rise on his arms.

"I have no idea. Security was instructed to magically protect the school from them."

"Rocky is a shapeshifter. He probably pretended to be someone else." Peyton input.

"Plus, Pey said he's telekinetic, he might have combined his powers to change the other kid too." Wyatt added thoughtfully.

"What happened that concerned you guys so much?" Leo was still a little confused.

"Rocky acted like he was interested in Pey, then intentionally started picking on her powers, and then mentioned Phy. The old divide and conquer method came to mind." Chris' voice was dark and cynical.

"But that's crazy! Phyra is only thirteen, besides, she already has a boyfriend." Leo stated, baffled.

"Phy doesn't have a boyfriend, Uncle Leo. Who told you that?" Peyton laughed.

"Yeah, she does. That friend of hers, Nick, I think? They one she went to the movies with tonight."

"Nick? Are you sure it was Nick, Uncle Leo?"

"Yeah, I've met him a few times. It was him, why?"

"That's not possible. Ricky and his family are off on a vacation to Australia for a month. He won't be back for two more weeks." Peyton's face suddenly went pale. "Sense for her Chris!"

Both Chris and Wyatt immediately closed their eyes, sensing for Phyra. After a few tense seconds, Chris reluctantly opened his eyes. In a low, gravelly voice he spoke. "Round everyone up. Phyra's not on our radar anymore. I think she's been kidnapped. And if my guess is right, it's the Source that has her."