"Okay, we have to work fast," Chris said.

"Where are they?"

"Asleep. Taking naps."

Paige sighed. "Okay, okay. We can't do a spell to reverse this, can we do one to stop it?"

"Stop it?"

"Yeah, there's got to be a way to stop a progressive spell, right?"

Chris nodded slowly. "Work on that. Piper back yet?"

The door downstairs opened and shut loudly.

"Unless demons started using doors," Paige said.

Chris orbed downstairs. "Wyatt's with your dad?"

"Yeah. Where's Leo and Phoebe?"

"Taking a nap."

As the pair returned to the attic, Chris filled her in on Paige's plan.

"No, no, no," Piper said, "we can't do a spell."

"Why not?"

"Consequences."

"Piper, it's not a reversal spell or an aging spell. It's just to stop a progressive spell."

"And let them stay this age?"

Chris threw his hands up. "Well it's better than them being defenseless."

Piper thought for a minute. "No. I got a better idea. Paige, find anything you can about making a talisman."

"A talisman?"

Chris nodded, realizing her plan. "Yeah. Protect them with necklaces they can wear around."

The sound of crying made them jump. "What the hell?"

Piper went to the bedroom and found Phoebe curled up on the bed, crying. She sat down.

"Remember, like kids," Chris said from the doorway.

"I know, I know."

Piper laid a hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "Phoebe, honey, you okay?"

"Pipe-uh! Pipe-uh, I had bad dweam!"

She stroked her sister's hair. "Okay, it's okay. You're okay. It was just a dream, sweetie. Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine."

Phoebe shook her head, crying louder. "Not jus' a dweam! A vewy vewy bad dweam!"

Leo woke from her crying and added his own sobs. Chris sighed and sat down on the floor.

"Shh, it's okay, Leo. Phoebe just had a bad dream."

Leo leaned his head on Chris's chest and stuck a thumb in his mouth. Chris put an awkward arm around his shoulders and began to rock back and forth.

"This is so dysfunctional," he muttered.

A loud crash made the group jump.

"Piper! Chris! Little help out here!" Paige shouted.

"Stay with Leo and Phoebe," Chris said as he rushed out the door.

Leo jumped up to follow him. Piper grabbed her husband by the arm and hauled him backwards. She shut and locked the door, knowing it wouldn't really do any good if anyone wanted to get in or out.

"Pipe-uh!"

"It's okay, guys. Chris just has to go help Paige with something but we have to stay here."

There was another crash.

"Paige, look out!" Chris's voice shouted.

There was another series of crashes and thuds. Leo's eyes widened.

"It a bad guy?"

Piper hesitated but nodded. "That's why we have to stay here, okay? Chris and Paige are taking care of it."

"I go help 'em," Leo said. He stood and orbed only to reappear in the same spot. "How come I didn't go nowhere?"

"I'm not sure, sweetie."

The thuds in the rest of the house seemed to be getting nearer. Piper noted the panicked look on Phoebe's face. She'd picked up her throw blanket and cuddled it against her cheek. Piper recalled her doing the same thing when they were little.

"Here, guys. You two come back in the corner here," she said.

Leo went to the corner furthest from the door. Phoebe crawled off the bed, nearly falling, and joined him. She held her blanket tightly and began to suck her thumb.

"You wan' hold my bwanky too?" she asked, holding a side up to Leo. The throw was plenty big for two and Piper smiled as they sat on the floor, the blanket shared and each sucking a thumb.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "This is unbelievable."

Someone tried the door and Phoebe began to scream. Leo's tears quickly followed, even after Piper opened the door to find Paige and Chris.

"Everything okay?" Piper asked, raising her voice over their cries.

Paige nodded. "Vanquished the guy."

"Clearly not the Innocence—"

"Don't use the D-word," Piper said.

Paige's side was bleeding.

"And would you please take care of that before they see it?" she asked Chris, pointing to the wound.

"Oh, jeez. Sorry, Paige. Didn't notice."

She shrugged. "Me either. Must've been the—my God, can you please make them stop?"

Piper turned to the crying witch and Whitelighter. "Guys, guys, guys…shh…it's okay… See? It's just Paige and Chris. It's…"

The cries continued and Piper threw her hands up. "Oh for cryin' out loud!"

To her surprise, Leo and Phoebe both froze.

"You froze them," Paige said.

"Yes, I did. I couldn't hear a damn thing you were saying. Now, your side. You said must've been what?"

"Oh, I was just going to say that it must've been the adrenaline rush."

Chris frowned. "Paige, adrenaline doesn't do that."

She rolled her eyes. "No, the reason I didn't notice it. Adrenaline rush."

"Oh."

Chris's eyes widened. "Wait…you froze them."

"Yes, we established that," Piper said.

"You froze Phoebe."

"Oh my God! You're right. I froze Phoebe. How did I freeze Phoebe? How could that happen?"

"She's losing her powers."

"Yeah...Leo too. He tried to orb and help you."

"He can't orb?"

"He started to but then he just reappeared in the same spot."

Chris sighed. "Okay, well, we need to get those talismen made fast. Paige, stay with them. Piper, you make the talismen. I'm gonna see what I can find out about the Innocence Demon."

"How come I have to stay with them?" Paige asked.

"Because you can orb them to safety if need be."

"Let's just hope you don't need to," Piper said.

She unfroze them and knelt to deal with their crying. "Shh...it's okay, guys. See? It was just Chris and Paige."

"Where duh bad guy?" Leo asked.

"I sent him away," Chris said, choosing his words carefully.

"Now Chris and I have to go do something. Can you two stay with Paige and be good?"

They nodded, their sobs having faded to muffled tears. Piper stood to go only to fall back to the ground.

"What the--"

Leo held firmly onto Piper's legs. "No! Don't wan' Pipe-uh go."

"Leo, I'm just going to the attic."

"No! No! Pipe-uh stay!"

Phoebe caught on to Leo's hysterical pleas and joined in. "Pipe-uh 'tay an' Paige go."

"I feel loved," Paige mumbled to Chris, crossing her arms over her chest.

He shook his head. "Piper's the one who was with them when the last demon attacked. They see her as being the only thing that protected them and kept them safe."

"Oh so they just don't trust me. Thanks, Chris. Feel a lot better now."

"Look, could you please not take this personally? They're thinking like three year-olds, okay? They see the one who was in the room, Piper, as being their protector and the one who saved them. It's not that they don't trust you, it's that they only trust her."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Hey, Piper."

"Little help here, please?"

Leo clung firmly to Piper's legs, still yelling his head off. "Pipe-uh stay! Stay! Pipe-uh stay!"

Phoebe had manuevered around and clutched Piper's arm. "Peas 'tay, Pipe-uh. Don' go nowhere. 'Tay wit us. 'Tay!"

Chris whistled loudly. "Okay, Piper will stay with you guys. Paige, you make the talismen and then stay with Piper and the other two."

Paige and Piper nodded.

"Okay, guys, you hear Chris? I'm staying. You can let go."

Phoebe loosened her grip on her sister's arm. "Pipe-uh 'tay here?"

"Yep. Right here."

Leo looked up at her, but didn't let go of her legs. "Pwomise?"

"Yes, Leo. I promise I'll stay here. Now could you please let go of my legs?"

He let go and returned to the blanket he and Phoebe had abandoned in the corner.