Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Precautions

"He won't answer his cell phone, Piper. And his secretary said he's not in the office. She doesn't even remember seeing him leave. That means he's in trouble."

Piper looked at her sister as she made her way to Melinda's crib to pick up the crying baby. The child was soothed by her mother's arms. Taking a seat on her rocking chair, Piper answered Phoebe. "I'm sure he's fine, honey. He wouldn't have let the secretary see him shimmer off somewhere."

"He told me he was gonna be at work. If he left, he would've let me know."

"Unless he didn't want you to worry."

"You mean if he went to the Underworld? That worries me more."

"Look, Phoebe, if he went to see if any threats are coming, that's a good thing. We need to be prepared if a demon wants to harm one of the kids."

"Not at the cost of Cole's safety. I've told him a thousand times I want one of us with him when he checks down there. He wasn't at Prue's birth in my premonition. But, I'm not going to let it be because he got himself killed trying to play hero. If he's not there, it'll be because I'm in pain and kicked him out because it's his fault," Phoebe said.

"Cole grew up in the Underworld. He is a demon, Phoebe, one of the strongest and smartest. He knows how to stay alive down there."

"Why don't you care if he gets hurt?" demanded Phoebe.

"You know that's not true," Piper answered. "I just think he's okay and you're worrying over nothing."

Phoebe shook her head. "It's because he's so powerful that his betrayal to the side of evil made them all want to kill him so badly. They didn't want to lose such a valuable demon to our side. You know that, Piper. And the ones who don't want to kill him want to turn him back. But, when they realize he's good and they can't, they'll settle for vanquishing him, too. Everyone wants to kill my husband!" She held back tears and sat on Piper and Leo's bed. "Why? Why does everyone have to want Cole dead?!"

"Because he's such an annoying jerk," Paige answered as she orbed in, daughters in tow.

"Paige," Piper scolded.

"Sorry," the brunette took in Phoebe's depressed face. "What made her wonder about the Hate Cole club?"

When Phoebe started to tear up again, Paige quickly repeated her apology. "Come on, Pheebs, you know I don't really hate Cole. He just bugs the heck out of me most days. But, really, what happened today that you're thinking about his enemies."

"I think he went to the Underworld again," the once- empathic witch replied.

"So? He always does that. He's checking for threats. He wants to protect the kids, not to mention you, and I guess Piper and me."

"Exactly. But, what about the threats to him? He doesn't even think of that."

"For as long as I've known him, except when he was human for that short time or when he was dead, Cole's always had someone after him, whether it's demons or us. I don't think it's really possible for him to forget that someone always wants to get him."

"That's not helping," Piper muttered.

"Well, I don't know what to say. She's got these crazy mood swings. She's very difficult during pregnancy. I wasn't like that when I was expecting."

"Yeah, any anger you felt was just magnified. And your sarcasm increased. And you ate disgusting food. You yelled like crazy, especially at me."

"Hey!" Paige spun to face the newcomer. "You can wipe that smirk off your face, Cole. It wasn't pregnancy making me yell at you. It was your own rotten personality."

"Ouch."

Phoebe's gasp interrupted the argument. She rushed to Cole. "You're bleeding! What happened?"

"It's just a scratch, "Cole said. "Barely hurts."

"Right," Phoebe said disbelievingly as she moved her hand across his cheek just below the slash. "Are you purposely trying to make my premonition come true? Do you want to die?!" Her eyes found a rip in his jacket's sleeve where blood was also leaking out, just below his shoulder. "Paige?"

"I got it." Fortunately, the wounds weren't very deep. Paige's Whitelighter healing abilities working on Cole's human half were able to mend them completely.

"Thanks." Cole stretched his formerly hurt arm. Meeting his wife's angry, yet worried, stare, he sighed. "Phoebe, I'm all right."

"You should've called me when you left. You should've taken one of us with you."

"I am not ever going to take my pregnant wife with me to the Underworld and Piper and Paige both had babies not that long ago. It's too dangerous there, Charmed or not."

"And you didn't call because you wanted me to think you'd become a pile of ashes below ground?" Phoebe questioned sweetly, though with a steely undertone.

"Baby, I didn't want you to worry about me," Cole defended himself.

"And the blood? That was supposed to be a fun sideshow act for me to see?"

Cole looked to his sisters-in-law for help. Piper seemed to be very busy with Melinda. Paige, despite holding two squirming infants, was snickering. "I'd just told you there weren't any threats and I wanted to make sure. I didn't want you to be concerned if I really was right."

"But, you weren't," Piper interrupted, realizing what he hadn't yet said.

"I don't know for sure," Cole noted Phoebe's hand anxiously reach for her stomach. "I was asking around, but I couldn't get any real answers. The demons kept blowing up whenever they began to say something that may have potentially been even a little incriminating."

"So, something didn't want them talking."

Cole nodded at the current oldest Halliwell sister. "I'm guessing someone's trying to take over the Underworld again. They can't become a Source, since they don't know what happened to the Grimoire, but, even without the title, a powerful demon can rule. You suffered from Zankou's takeover."

"We destroyed the Nexus, though, so this new demon can't use it like Zankou tried to," Phoebe said.

"He must have another plan. I don't think he's got as many minions as he probably wants yet, based on the number of exploding demons. So, whatever that plan is, either it's not in effect yet or it's faulty. Demons want to be sure he can rule wisely, that he has the power, before they hand out loyalties. Until they're sure, they'll just keep fighting each other to become the strongest and killing innocents."

"At least that means we've got time to discover his identity and plan before it's too late," commented Piper. Melinda had fallen asleep, so Piper placed her back in the crib. She motioned to the door, "Let's head to the attic and check out the Book of Shadows."

"I've got to check the book anyway," announced Paige. "That's why I came over. One of my charges was attacked. We vanquished the demon and I think it was only lower level, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't part of a group that would attack Becky's coven. I guess now I'll have to see if he was working for this new Source wannabe."

She looked at the babies in her arms and called, "Cribs." Charlotte and Grace's beds appeared in a flurry of white-blue lights.

"My room's already crowded enough, Paige."

Waving off Piper's statement, Paige put each of the twins in a bed. "It's only for a little while, Piper. Jeez."

Everyone filed out of the room and headed for the stairs. A call for mommy, however, caused Piper to head in the opposite direction. "Leo and the boys must be back from the park. I'll be up in a minute."

"Do you know of any demons strong enough to be able to rule?" Paige questioned Cole. She'd found her demon in the Book and was satisfied to learn he wasn't part of a group and that he'd been working alone. She had then moved on to the new possible threat to her children.

He shook his head. "You guys are sure that the Triad and the old Source are dead, for good this time." At Phoebe and Paige's nod, he continued. "And Barbas and Zankou are gone. Really, you've vanquished a lot of the upper level demons from my time, and of course a bunch of low level ones. It's mostly a new generation of demons. They're still learning and training, trying to make their way to the top. I don't think they'd be able to gain followers yet, and they know it, so they wouldn't vie for ruler. And any old demons left certainly wouldn't let them, anyway. Of course, there are several other ancient demons, like Zankou, that old sources imprisoned, but after what happened last time, no one would release another one. I have no idea who stands a chance of controlling the Underworld. Or who would have a plan they think would work against the Charmed Ones."

"What good are you as our demonologist?" Paige sourly asked.

Cole shrugged, not in the mood for an argument. He was really worried because he had no idea who could be after his family, and thus knew no way of protecting them.

"You know, Baby, you're right. I'd never realized it before, but most of the demons in the Book, the ones our ancestors faced and wrote about, we've destroyed. I guess it is a new generation of evil." She closed the Book of Shadows, having found nothing helpful in it. "Our next generation is still comprised of babies. I really had wanted to keep our almost normal life. I mean, demon attacks have been so scarce since Christy and the Triad. But, with a new generation of them, there'll start wanting to try their luck against the forces of good, against us."

Paige sighed, "Yeah, but if helping our children stay innocent until we're to elderly to help it is what we gain from losing our chance at normalcy, I think it's way past worth it. With any luck, we'll take out this generation, too."

"You're right. The kids make it worth it," Phoebe wholeheartedly agreed. "Which is why we have to keep them safe from whatever this new threat is. Cole, I want to move back into the manor."

"You what?"

"I got my loft when the demon attacks were at a lull. And, I've kept it because, aside from the Ultimate Power, it's stayed that way. But, if demons are gonna start springing up all the time again, the Charmed Ones are stronger living together."

"Didn't you want independence?" Cole asked. He actually thought this was a great idea. While he'd been against constantly hanging out at the manor when they didn't leave there and when they had no proof of any danger, his trip to the Underworld had caused him to reconsider the positives of living at this house. It wasn't on a spiritual nexus that could boost their power anymore, but Phoebe was right about Charmed power and closeness. Phoebe had to be sure she wanted to move back though. And then there was Paige and Henry.

Phoebe answered her husband's question. "That was before our Ladybug. This will keep her, the twins, Wyatt, Chris, and Mel safe from increased attacks."

"The twins?" Paige asked. "I take it I'm supposed to move back, too?"

"It's for safety, Paige."

"Oh, I'm not complaining. It is a good idea. I'm sure Henry will agree, for our girls. And our apartment's kind of small for a family. Granted, the manor is kind of small for three families, but like you said, it's for the safety of our kids."

"Great. I'll talk to our landlord about not renewing our lease on the loft after all," Phoebe told Cole. "Wyatt and Chris are going to lose their toy room. We need my bedroom back."

"They're gonna have to share a room again, too. My room can't have three kids and two adults," Paige added.

"Four rooms really is small for this many people. The kids are going to need their own rooms when they get a bit older. We'll have to look into adding on to the house."

"It might be better if we just find houses closer to here, like on the same street," Paige suggested, "after we take care of the demon who wants to be the Source of All Evil."

Piper entered the room, Chris on her hip, "This little guy didn't want to play with his brother anymore. Wyatt thought it would be fun to orb blocks at his head while I was busy filling Leo in on everything. Chris tried to orb them back, but his aim's not as practiced. So, anyway, is there anything useful in the Book?"

"I think you'll have to add to that 'everything' you told Leo," Paige said.

"We're moving back," Phoebe informed her big sister.