Quick Study

I looked between Cole and Leo in confusion. Clearly Cole showing up looking like he took a beating wasn't a good thing, even if I didn't like him. But there was something seriously wrong with both he and Leo showing up not looking very happy.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"The Elders think that….Brianna is in trouble," Leo answered. Just great. My first innocent turns out to be my niece and now she's in magical trouble too.

"What's your story?" I snapped at Cole. This was not how I wanted to end my day.

"I had no choice," he prefaced. That wasn't a good sign.

"No choice in what?" Piper asked, her voice starting to take on an edge of annoyance as well.

"I got caught…by the Source…and he sort of…" he trailed off.

"Just spit it out!" I spat.

"Let it slip that you had a niece," he mumbled.

"You did what?" I bellowed. The lousy scum! I knew he couldn't be trusted.

"How could you?" Piper added.

"Guys…he was obviously tortured for the information," Phoebe tried to weakly defend her boyfriend.

"Phoebe…the Source of all Evil knows we have a niece who is obviously a witch," Piper shouted.

"But that doesn't mean Cole meant to let it out," she countered.

"Fighting isn't going to help. If the Source knows about Bree…which clearly he does he's going to go after her," Leo interjected. I couldn't believe this. I left them bickering and burst into Bree's room. The Book was sitting on the night stand and she was laying on the bed.

"Hey…you ok?" I asked nervously. What if he'd already gotten to her?

"Fine," she answered, not looking at me.

"I don't want to scare you but…there is a very dangerous demon that knows who you are and might try and hurt you to get to me and my sisters," I explained.

"A demon?" she asked, seeming uninterested.

"Yes…a very powerful demon. One who has been trying to destroy us for years," I tried impress upon her.

"Why would it go after me?" she sighed.

"Because you are vulnerable," I answered. Why wasn't this getting to her? Frustrated, I stormed back into Piper's room.

"Something is very wrong," I announced.

"I think we know that, Paige," Piper snapped.

"No…I told Bree that a very powerful demon might be after her and she didn't seem to care," I explained.

"She's a teenage girl. They don't usually care about anything," Cole remarked.

"They do if it involves them," I hissed.

"Paige is right. If it had to do with her, she should be really interested," Phoebe agreed.

"So what…you think the Source already go to her?" Piper asked sharply.

"I don't know," I answered. That thought had obviously crossed my mind. I hoped it wasn't true.

"Maybe Phoebe can get a premonition off of her?" I suggested after a minute of silence.

"Or see if she can pick up the Book?" Cole added.

"You've tricked it," I shot.

"But the Source couldn't…not even in a mortal body," he countered.

"How about we just calm down for a minute before we do something irrational," Leo called loudly.

"We can't wait, Leo. If he has gotten to her…who knows how fast he's going to work…tricking her into using her magic for evil," Piper hissed at her husband.

With that my sisters and I stormed out and into Bree's room…again. She looked up when we all walked in. She didn't say anything. She just looked at us for a minute before turning her gaze away.

"Bree," Phoebe said gently, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine," she answered. Her voice seemed sort of hollow. Phoebe discreetly placed her hand on Bree's shoulder. She inhaled sharply and both Piper and I stared at her. She quickly pulled her hand away and stood up.

'Are you ok, Aunt Phoebe?" Bree asked.

"Fine. I just got a chill that's all," she lied and picked up the book. We followed her house.

"What did you see?" I demanded once we were out of ear shot.

"I saw…" she began but she looked like she needed to sit down. It took both Piper and to guide her to the bed in Piper's room. Cole and Leo were standing there eyeing each other.

"Are you alright?" Cole demanded as soon as Phoebe was seated.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"I got a premonition. The Source definitely got to her," Phoebe rasped. I felt my body swaying at the news. I remember the room starting to spin but after that there was nothing. I opened my eyes to find myself on the bed, staring up at four very anxious faces.

"What happened?" I breathed.

"You just fainted, sweetie," Phoebe answered.

"Oh," I murmured. My head was a little fuzzy. I didn't hit it did I?'

"Did I hit my head? I don't really remember why I fainted," I mumbled.

"No you didn't hit your head Paige," Leo told me.

"You apparently freaked out over the fact that…" Cole began but was violently hushed by my sisters.

"No…what was he going to say?" I demanded, slowly sitting up.

"Honey…Bree is being possessed by the Source," Piper said in a hushed voice.

"Oh God…what are we going to do?" I groaned.

"We can try and dispossess her. But it is going to take some serious magic," Phoebe answered.

"Well…how did you do it before…when he possessed…" I started to ask.

"I froze him and he sort of fell out," Piper cut me off.

"So can we just try that again?" I pleaded.

"I know we don't want her to do anything evil but maybe she shouldn't confront her," Phoebe sighed.

"Phoebe she's your niece. She's family for Christ sake. And some super powerful demon is controlling her. Why the hell would we not confront her!" I shouted. We all grew quiet when suddenly there were footsteps outside the room. I held my breath. What if I'd pissed her off? The doorknob slowly turned and the door opened to reveal Bree standing there. I could see the evil reflected in her eyes and I couldn't help but orb out of fear. When I reappeared Bree was holding Piper at knife point.

"Damn it," I spat to myself for my uncontrolled orbing. Finally realizing that my possessed niece had my sister with a knife to her throat I jumped into action.

"Bree let her go," I pleaded.

"Screw you," she spat, her voice a lot deeper than any girl's should be.

"You don't want to hurt her. She is family," I continued. If I could get through to Bree…just for a second then maybe she could force the Source out of her. It wasn't working. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cole forming an energy ball. My gaze darted between him and Brianna. I couldn't let him hurt her. Possessed or not, she was still m y innocent.

"No!" I shouted, waving my hand at the energy ball. It disappeared in orbs. I heard a crash downstairs. I hope it wasn't something too important or sentimental.

"You don't want her. Come and get me," I called, hoping that if I used myself as bait Piper could freeze her. That idea seemed to appeal to the Source because he turned Bree around and she came at me. I took a few steps backwards, trying half-heartedly to get away from her.

"Piper, now!" Phoebe called and Piper's hands flicked out. Bree froze but nothing happened. Why was nothing happening? Then slowly, a form began to fall out of her and onto the floor. I jumped back a little as his hand brushed against my skin.

"Gross," I whined as he fully disentangled himself from Bree. She quickly unfroze and let out a loud ragged breath.

I should have paid more attention to what was going on around me. Of course at the moment I had tunnel vision. I was focused totally on Bree. I didn't see the Source get up and send an fireball at Piper. I didn't see her dodge it just in time. I didn't see Phoebe duck behind the bed or Leo and Cole get thrown into the wall. I didn't even feel the fireball as it graze my arm. It was like everything was moving in silent slow motion. I was trying to reach out and grab Brianna, to pull her behind me and keep her safe but I wasn't fast enough. Before my eyes I saw the Source give me a sinister smile and grab Bree around the middle.

"Let me go!" she cried out. It sounded so far away with the blood pounding in my ears.

"No!" I shouted and lunged forward but he was too fast. In a blast of hell fire they disappeared and I fell to the ground, landing on my wrist. I felt it snap but I didn't care. I'd just lost my innocent again. What was the point of all this damn witch stuff I couldn't even keep one damn person safe?