Chapter 11 - Empty

I woke with a start, and for a moment wondered why I felt so weird. Morning sickness?

No. Powerless syndrome.

I felt ... empty. There's no other word for it. As if a part of me was gone.

I looked over this kids - all still sleeping. None of them look different. How am I going to explain to them why they don't have powers?

"Hi. How you feeling?" Phoebe asked when I got into the kitchen.

"Weird. Like there's something missing ... empty."

"I know. And eating doesn't get rid of it." She told me. I'm not sure if she's joking or not.

"I kinda figured it wouldn't, Pheebs." I smiled.

"How are the kids?"

"Sleeping. I don't know what to tell them." I sighed.

"Tell them the truth. You know, in a way kids can understand."

"Thanks for the help." I said, rolling my eyes. She just laughed.

"Do you think demons will still come after us?" I asked suddenly.

"I don't know ... they shouldn't, should they? I mean, the Elders wouldn't leave us powerless, with demons attacking, would they?"

"Well, I did kinda destroy the heavens." I said. "And I guess they haven't got any reason to keep us alive anymore. We're not ... the Charmed Ones any more."

"Mores the pity." A familiar voice said. We looked at each other and slowly turned around.

"Grams!" I cried.

We hugged her, as Prue and Paige stumbled into the room.

"Am I still asleep?" Paige yawned.

"Nope." I told her. "Why are you here, Grams?" I asked.

"I came to talk to you. They wont." So she's not a fan of the Elders to, huh? Is it just a Halliwell thing or a universal thing?

"About ...?" Prue prompted.

"About this. What you've done. What were you thinking?"

"We were thinking my daughter nearly died because of their stupidity, and complete disregard for anything other than their precious greater good." I snapped.

"Hey, hey, I understand that. When we heard - your mother and I - we were so mad. The others had to stop us going up there ourselves." She smiled. "But the Charmed Legacy ... it's your destiny. Look at all the good you've done - the good you're still supposed to do. You can't reject it!"

"We can, and we have." Paige informed her. "I'm sorry Grams, but we stand by it. It's the right thing to do."

"There's something else ..." Grams sighed.

"Care to share?" Prue asked her, sipping a cup of coffee. I didn't even notice her make it.

"We ... we're not sure if the Elders have cloaked you from demons." She sighed. "I mean, as far as their concerned, you're not their responsibility anymore. They don't owe you anything."

"They don't owe us anything? We saved their butts more than they've saved ours." Prue snorted.

"You mean we're still going to be attacked?" I gasped. "While we're defenceless ... while the kids are defenceless?"

"I don't know." Grams admitted. "But I wanted to warn you. I better go. Think about what I said. Think about your decision."

"There's nothing to think about." Phoebe said stubbornly as Grams faded away.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" I asked, turning to face them.

"Yes. I mean, I think so. I mean ..." Phoebe looked doubtful.

"It wasn't the wrong thing." Paige said quickly.

"But that wont protect us from demons." Prue sighed.

"Or the kids ... Do you think we can cloak ourselves? I mean, witches can do it, right."

"Yeah. I'll get the book." Paige left the room, and we sat at the kitchen table.

"What are going to do?" I asked them. "Magic is a part of us. Was a part of us." I corrected myself.

"So ... we try to get a life outside of magic. Do what we've been trying to do for the last three years." Paige said, walking back in. "Not that you guys have much else to get." She sighed.

"So call him." Phoebe said to her. "You know you're dying to." Paige rolled her eyes, sitting at the table next to Phoebe.

"Actually, Henry and I are going out on Friday night. Happy?"

"Very. You just better hope we're still alive then." I sighed. "Anyway ..." I looked at the book, and Paige opened it, to the middle ...

"Oh, my god." Phoebe gasped. The page was blank. Totally and completely.

"Wh-?" Frantically, we flipped through the pages - all empty.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked again.

"What can we do?" Prue muttered.

We looked at each other.

"Leo!"

"They just said it was your choice." Leo sighed half an hour later, after orbing back down from Elderland. "You chose it this way, and they can't do anything about it."

"They wont do anything about it." Prue corrected. "Are we at least hidden from demons?"

"No." He sighed.

"Can't they give us a spell to cloak ourselves?" Phoebe tried.

"No."

At that moment our worst fears came to pass - a demon shimmered in. The smirk on his face telling us he knew we couldn't stop him, and the fireball in his hand telling us he was gonna kill us.

Fabulous.