A/N: Sorry it took so long y'all. I've been crazy busy at the bakery I work at with the holidays. Every body's waiting until the lastminute to order their pies. I'm not looking forward to December. Sorry for the rant. Here you go.

Chapter 3: Interrogations

Carrie sat on her sofa, twiddling her thumbs anxiously, waiting for her boys to get home. What was taking them so long? Had Natalia already gotten to them? No, she wouldn't dare. More importantly, had they already discovered what they were? If Natalia had really unbound their powers, it was only a matter of time before they discovered them. What would she tell them? How would she explain her decision? She couldn't wait any longer.

She leapt from the couch, and sprinted for the door. She reached for the knob, only to see it turn o its own, before the door swung open. Zack & Cody slammed right into her.

"Mom!" Zack cried, embracing her tightly. Cody was silent, and his hug seemed cold, and half-hearted. Carey's heart sank. They had found out. She kissed them on their foreheads, waiting for the questions to come.

"Isn't that just heart-breaking." Came an all too familiar voice. Carey lifted her gaze to meet the dark specter in her doorway. Natalia hadn't aged a day from the last time they had seen each other, thirteen years ago, when the pact had been made. "Carey Martin, the years have been good to you. Have a seat." She stated dryly. "You're about to have company." She crossed the room, and took a seat in the armchair, as if she belonged there. She hadn't changed one bit.

"What did you tell them?" Carey demanded.

"Nothing yet." The Natalia smiled coldly.

"Alright Nat, I want answers, RIGHT NOW!!!" Piper stormed into the suite, shaking an angry finger at the sorceress.

"Who are you?" Carey asked, confused at this second intrusion.

"Hi, we're the Charmed Ones," came Phoebe's voice, who sounded a little embarrassed at her sister's apparent lack of tact. "Nice to meet you."

Carey's eyes bulged out of her head. "I'm sorry, did you say The Charmed Ones?"

"Yeah, covered that. Busy here!" Piper barked.

"Alright, alright." Natalia continued to patronize. "No need to be impatient."

"Hah!"

Natalia crossed her legs gingerly before continuing. "I'm here, simply because something big is about to happen in this very spot. Something that will tip the scales between good and evil dramatically. I don't know what it is, or when, I'm not a seer. I just know it's going to happen soon.

"So who's backing you this time, the Elders, The dark priests, The Brotherhood of the Thorn… The Angel of Destiny?"

"My sources are none of your concern." Natalia snapped.

"Well, there's one easy way of doing this. Leo! LEO!" Natalia sighed as Leo's orbs materialized behind his wife. He placed a hand on Piper's shoulder.

"What is it?... Oh, hi Nat." The demoness, waved half-heartedly at him. "Is she helping us, or fighting us right now?"

"That's actually what we called you for."

"Is he a witch too?" Zack breathed in awe of Leo's means of entry.

"No sweetie." Phoebe whispered back. "He's a whitelighter. They're… well, they're kind of like guardian angels for good witches. You probably have one too."

"Cool! Do we mom?"

"Huh? Oh sorry." Carrie studdered. "I'm still getting over the Charmed Ones being in my living room."

"You know them?" Cody inquired, although he sounded a little more annoyed than curious.

"Alright Leo, spill." Piper chastised her husband. "Is she working with the Elders again, 'cause if she is, they have some serious explaining to do sending us here!"

"I don't know. I heard rumors that she was back, but I didn't think it had anything to do with you."

"Well you better find out, or you're in for it mister. And don't forget the elf nanny for Wyatt if you're going to be long." Leo frowned, looking like a scolded child before orbing out. Not a moment later, Paige orbed into the room where he had just been standing.

"Whew, that orb to the roof did the trick. I feel loads better. So, what'd I miss?"

"Well, same old, same old." Piper sighed. "This place is about to become a battleground for good & evil, we're caught in the middle, and the vacation dream just went down the tubes .

"Okay, and I'm sick again." Paige tried to plop onto the sofa, but found it occupied. "Oh, sorry. I'm Paige, nice to meet you. You must be Zack & Cody's mom. Lucky you, how may moms can brag that their kids can throw fire, am I right?"

"I thought you said she was a witch." Zack turned to Phoebe again.

"On her mom's side." She explained. "See, she's actually our half-sister. Don't ask, you'll just get a head-ache."

"That reminds me." Piper continued her ruthless interrogation. "How do they fit into all of this?" She indicated the twins. Natalia was about to reply, but Carey cut her off.

"No offense, but that's a discussion I'd rather save for later, as a family." Before Piper could argue, the doorbell rang. Piper looked accusingly in Natalia's direction. The sorceress shook her head, signaling she had nothing to do with it. She looked to her sister, who nodded, and took position by the door.

"Ready?" Phoebe asked, reaching for the knob. Paige reached for the kitchen counter behind her, and grabbed the skillet that had been left out from breakfast.

"Ready."

"Phoebe turned the knob slowly, then threw the door open, and swung her leg at whoever was waiting. "Aii-ee!" She screeched, kicking the visitor's legs out from under them. Without skipping a beat, she planted a foot on their, chest before finally getting a good look at their face.

"What is wrong with you?!" Maddie groaned.

"Maddie? What are you doing here?" Phoebe asked, as she helped her victim to her feet.

"I'm here to bay-sit the twins. What's you're excuse Jackie Chan?"

Oh no, Carey thought to herself. She had completely forgotten. "This is the week I'm supposed to go to Central Park with Kurt!" She raked her hair in annoyance.

Cody's interest perked up at the mention of his father.

Carey rose out of her seat, and stared angrily down at Natalia. "You planned it this way, didn't you!"

"I did no such thing. Things merely worked out in my favor."

"Is this a bad time?" Maddie chimed.

"Actually, yes. Maddie, could you step outside for a minute?"Maddie looked around at everyone in the room, looking dejected. But she did as Carey asked. "I can't go."

"No Mom, you have to!" Zack cried. "Dad sounded so excited when you told him!"

"He's right." Natalia agreed, clearly enjoying how trapped Carey was feeling. "Isn't his career riding on this? Record deals like that don't come along everyday, and that little duet of yours should seal the deal."

"Like I'd really leave my boys while you're here." Carey growled. She could swear she saw Natalia chuckle.

"Hmm, here's a wacky idea." Paige interjected. "We are the Charmed Ones. We could stay with your boys, and make sure she doesn't touch 'em."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you, but I can't drag you into this."

"Ah sure you can. The entire magical community does." Paige waved her off. "Besides, I don't think we have a place to stay at the moment."

"So we're spending our vacation protecting innocents." Piper snorted.

"Piper!" Phoebe scolded.

"Well I'm just saying."

Carey looked at her sons, then at the sisters, then at Natalia, then back to her sons. "But…" she began.

"Go Mom." Cody spoke for the first time in awhile. As much as he wanted answers, he knew how important this record deal was for their dad. And he had always wanted his mom & dad to spend time together. He tried to smile at his mother, but it was hollow. Carey stared at her son, confused, and sad.

"Alright." She said finally. "I uh… guess I'd better go now if I want to…" shje had to clear her throat, "beat the traffic." She took both sons in her arms. "I love you." She breathed. She went to her room, and gathered her things. Before she reached the door, she glared at Natalia venomously. "Don't you dare try to interfere while I'm gone."

The sorceress held up her right hand, revealing the odd birthmark on her palm; a fire-colored eye with dark bat-like wings on either side. "I swear. I won't reveal anything," she paused, "without being asked." Her purple eyes flickered towards the twins for the briefest of seconds, then back to Carey. The thoughruly depressed mother of two left with one last glance at her sons, before opening the door to explain to Maddie that her "cousins", the Halliwell sisters were going to look after the twins.

"Alright," Piper began "I didn't want to do this, but it looks like we are. Paige, could you orb to the manor, and get the Book of Shadows, and Phoebe, you should probably go down to the lobby, and poke around. See if anything sounds demonic."

"as fun as this all sounds," Natalia rose from her chair "I have work to do elsewhere. I'll be right down the hall if you need me." She sank to the floor, taking the form of a shadow that slunk out the door.

"Now that's cool." Zack said admiringly. "Can I learn how to do that?"

"Only if you turn evil, sweetie." Phoebe teased.

"Okay, the Dr. Phil show is over people, let's go." Piper demanded.

"Um… Piper" Phoebe interrupted. "They've been through a lot today. Do you think we can wait till tomorrow to get started on our demon hunt?" Piper was about to argue, but she couldn't look at Zack's gleaming eyes, or Cody's disturbed frown, and say that Phoebe was wrong.

"Alright." She relented.

"Thank you!' Phoebe gushed, pulling her sister into a tight squeeze.

"But I'd still feel better if we had the book."

"I'm on it." Paige chimed, holding out her hands. "Book!" In a sparkle of orbs, the thick leather-bound Book of Shadows appeared in her waiting arms. "Here you go." Paige handed the book to her sister.

"Thank you."

Phoebe pulled up one of the wooden table chairs, and straddled it, facing the twins. She put on the friendliest smile she could muster. "So, I bet you two have questions. Well we've got answers. Bring 'em on."

--------------------

At this point, the suite that had been rented to Natalia, no longer resembled itself in the slightest. She had transformed the room, to the point where it looked more like the inside of a twelfth century castle. The bed had been replaced by a massive bookshelf that took up most of the wall. She had accumulated quite the collection of magical texts over the years, some of which she had written herself.

The once homely living room now looked more like a war chamber. Maps hung all around the walls, of other lands, other worlds, other planes. In the center was an hexagonal marble table with a symbol, identical to Natalia's birthmark, emblazoned on its polished surface. At the head of the table, Natalia sat in a high-backed chair with violet cushioning. An ancient tome lay open in front of her. Without looking away from the pages before her, the sorceress spoke to the seemingly empty room.

"I know you're there Max." There was a grunt, and a curse before the young whitelighter emerged from the corner she had been lurking invisibly in. She stormed to the opposite side of the table to face Natalia.

"You can dispense with the attitude, little one. The potion I gave you masks your presence from The Heir, and anyone linked to him. That doesn't mean me."

"Stop calling me that! Working with you is hard enough without you dumping on me!"

"Settle down." Natalia smirked at the brown-eyed girl. ""Just give me your report, like a good girl."

Max growled, but did as she was told. "The brute demon came back."

"And what did he bring with him?"

"Some black box."

"Did you see what was inside?"

"No." Max admitted. "But he did say that he had to fight two guardian angles to get it."

"Then it mustbe important. Anything else?"

"The Heir killed his sorcerer for not staking the territory fast enough. The Brute demon took his place."

"What was keeping the sorcerer?" Natalia asked, still not looking away from her tome.

"There's a warlock coven after it too. They were interfering."

"Interesting." The sorceress placed her fingers to her chin. "Two factions trying to get a corporate foothold with the same territory." She mused. "Anything else?"

"No, that's everything." Max stated a little too quickly. Natalia looked up from her book for the first time, and quirked an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Did anyone see you?" she demanded.

"No!"

"Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not!"

Natalia stretched her hand towards the girl, and the young whitelighter gasped as her coat and shirt were lifted past her midriff of their own accord, revealing a pair of neat cuts where the Celerity demon had grazed her. Max tugged her clothes back down indignantly. "So what? I vanquished him before he could make a sound. What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' is that you are getting careless. One slip, and everything I've worked for could fall apart."

"Cry me a river." Max retorted.

"Demon." Natalia reminded her.

"Well you're one to talk about lying! The Heir coming back, demons trying to buy out this hotel, this is all stuff the Elders should know about! Yet you're keeping me here with you when the Elders could've ended this already."

"Hardly." Natalia snorted.

Max placed her hands on the table, and leaned in glaring. "You know, the only reason I'm doing what you ask is because the Elders told me told me to. I work for them, not you. I can go up there right now, and tell them, and there'd be nothing you can do about it."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Natalia warned. "Not if you want your charges to remain alive." Max's eyes grew wider than fists.

"Don't you dare drag them into this!" she screeched. She tried to sound as furious as she could, but panic still managed to emit from her outburst. She wasn't the most by-the-book whitelighter, but nothing meant more to her than her charges, and she had seen firsthand how dangerous this woman could be.

"They're already in it." Natalia replied in her dry casual tone. "The Charmed Ones are with them as we speak. They're under the impression that they're protecting them from me." She chuckled darkly.

"So…" Max began. "Does this mean they know?"

"They discovered their powers this morning." Natalia stated apathetically. "But that doesn't mean they know about you, and they won't, until I say."

"Ahh! Enough! I can't take this anymore! You're cryptic, you're mean, and you're controlling my every move! I've half a mind to quit here & now!"

"Maxine." Natalia hissed, stopping Max dead in her tracks. Max had seen some terrifying demons in her line of work, but they got their way by roaring and screeching. Natalia could freeze her where she stood with nothing more than a whisper.

"If things don't happen exactly how they're supposed to, your charges won't be ready. They won't be prepared. If this fails, you'll wish I were trying to kill them. Now go." The demoness waved her away. "If you're through with your report, I have nothing left to say to you."

Max turned to leave, but decided she could risk one more question. "What exactly do you want them to do? Take down The Heir?"

Natalia smiled coldly. "Don't be absurd. Not even the Charmed Ones could destroy The Heir. If the Power of Three wasn't enough, what hope could those boys have?

Max sighed. She couldn't help but feel that the sorceress knew more than she was letting on. She nodded curtly before orbing out. What else was new?