TWENTY-SEVEN

The man just smiled as Prue fought desperately to decide what to do. No matter what she did she knew that one of the demons would find their target.

Suddenly an energy ball struck the demon standing over Phoebe vanquishing it immediately. The man spun in surprise. At the same instant Prue reacted using her telekinetic power to cast the man across the room. The fireball he was holding was extinguished as he struck the far wall. Prue looked up as Cole stepped into the cabin, energy ball in hand.

"Well, Talent," said Cole. "Surprise meeting you here. You really should learn to play better with others."

"Belthazor," Talent hissed.

"I go by Cole Turner in my human form," said Cole. As the two were speaking two other demons stepped into the cabin behind Cole. One was Baldasor. "I wondered how the mortals were able to best the witches and demons. I guess I have my answer. You chose to betray your own kind."

"I chose to be on the winning side," said Talent. "I would like to stay around and chat but it seems the odds are not really in my favor. There will be another time, Belthazor. Rest assured of that."

Cole cast the energy ball he was holding but before it could strike Talent, the demon simply vanished from the cabin. The energy ball exploded harmlessly on the wall.

Paige and Phoebe had regained their feet and Prue moved immediately to Piper. The latter was regaining consciousness as Prue helped her to her feet.

"How bad are you injured?" Prue demanded.

"I don't seem to be injured," said Piper in surprise. "I guess I got lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," said Cole. "It doesn't make any sense. You should be dead but you don't have a mark on you."

"Oh my God," Piper said suddenly. "Leo. They shot him."

Baldasor had moved over and checked Leo.

"The White Lighter will die," he announced without emotion. "The poison from the Dark Lighter bolt will finish him soon."

"We have to do something," Piper said, moving over to Leo. "He doesn't deserve to die because of us."

"As demons we don't that ability," said Cole. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for the White Lighter."

"Paige," said Phoebe, grabbing Paige's hand, "you have to heal him. You're the only one who can."

"How?" questioned Paige. "You said I'm a witch. I didn't think witches had the ability to heal."

"They don't," Phoebe said, "but you're also half White Lighter. That means you must have the ability to heal, too. You orbed just a minute ago, I saw you. That means you have White Lighter abilities just like in the real timeline."

"Half White Lighter?" Cole questioned. "I was not aware of that."

"We just found out ourselves," said Piper.

"I don't know how to heal," said Paige. "I don't even know if I can."

"You have to try," said Phoebe. "He'll die in minutes if you don't. Just put your hands on him and concentrate."

Confused Paige moved over to Leo. She knelt on the floor next to him. There was so much blood. She looked at Phoebe who just nodded at her. Hesitantly she placed her hands on the wound in Leo's shoulder and concentrated. Nothing happened.

"It's not working," she said. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Look," said Phoebe, "I know this isn't easy. And I know you have a lot to take in right now. But no one else has the ability to save Leo. Just calm yourself and concentrate. Don't think about anything but healing Leo. I know you can do. I have faith in you."

Paige just looked at Phoebe and then turned back to Leo. She placed her hands over the wound again and closed her eyes. She concentrated on healing Leo. Everyone watched in anticipation. For several moments nothing happened. Suddenly a blue light covered the wound in Leo's shoulder. A few seconds later the light went out and Leo sat up. The wound in his shoulder was gone and even the hole caused by the bolt was gone.

"You did it," said Phoebe, hugging Paige. "I knew you could."

"I only half believed you when you said she was our sister," said Prue. "But after that I have to admit that it must be true. She's not only a witch but she's also a White Lighter."

"What I'd like to know," said Cole, "is why Piper isn't dead. The demon that hit you with the fireball; I knew him. He would never have pulled his punch. He would have hit you with everything he had. But you don't have so much as a scratch. I'd like to know how you survived that fireball."

"Oh my God," said Phoebe. "You're pregnant."

"That's not possible," said Piper. "We told you, the food in the camp is laced with special chemicals to prevent that. Not that it would be possible anyway. It's not like I've had much of a social life the past few years."

"It's the only explanation for why you survived," said Phoebe. "It was the same way in the original timeline. After you and Leo got married. . ."

"Married?" Cole questioned. "The Elders let a witch marry a White Lighter?"

"It's a long story," said Phoebe. "Anyway, after they got married Piper got pregnant about two years later. In my timeline she's been pregnant a few months now. And somehow the powers of her baby protect her from harm."

"You mean I can't be hurt?" Piper asked.

"Not that I know of," said Piper. "So far no matter what happens you've either been protected from it or you've healed almost instantly. Just like Leo."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Cole. "Even if she is pregnant her unborn child isn't old enough to have any powers yet. Magical powers don't develop until after a child is born.

"I have a question," said Prue turning to Cole "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. You just saved our butts."

"You didn't think we'd just let you out on your own, did you?" Cole asked.

"One of the Brotherhood has been watching your movements," said Baldasor. "We leave nothing to chance."

"Well, I'm glad you did," said Piper, rubbing her head. "I'm not sure I buy Phoebe's story but there's no way we could have stopped Talent and that other demon. I guess we have you to thank for our lives."

"Thanks," Leo said to Paige. "I thought for sure I was going to die when he shot me."

"Who was that guy anyway?" Phoebe asked. "I thought he was a Dark Lighter but I've never seen a Dark Lighter with that kind of power."

"He is a Dark Lighter," said Cole. "One of the senior ones. It's believed he's more than three hundred years old. And as you saw, he's much more powerful than any Dark Lighter."

"True, but he is much more than that," said Baldasor. "He is also the offspring of a senior level demon. In centuries past he had been a great asset to the Source. When the humans began their war on witches and demons he and many of his followers simply disappeared. I have often wondered where they were."

"They're working for the government," said Paige. "This is incredible. All this time the United States Government has been lying to the American people. Perpetuating a war against witches on the pretense that they are evil. And the whole time using these Dark Lighters to do their dirty work. This is the story of the decade."

"There's more at stake here than your career," said Phoebe. "Some news story is nothing compared to the fact that hundreds of people are being imprisoned and murdered just because of the happenstance of their birth."

"You're right, of course," said Paige. "The last thing I need to be thinking about is my career. Old habits are hard to break."

"You won't be able to stay here," said Cole. "Talent is sure to return with more demons. And this time he'll be ready for us."

"Why would demons be helping him?" Phoebe asked. "We have a deal with the Source. I can't believe even he'd jeopardize the entire timeline for his petty jealousies."

"You do have a deal," said Baldasor. "Those demons were not part of the underworld. They are outcast demons who were marked for death years ago. They have been in hiding since. Talent must have recruited them for this assignment. And Belthazor is correct. There are many more such demons Talent can task to assist him."

"Baldasor," said Cole, "I've asked you a hundred time, when I'm in my human form call me Cole."

"Of course," said Baldasor, smiling. "I seem to keep forgetting little brother."

"And I've asked you not to call me that, either," said Cole.

"I'll try to do better in the future," said Baldasor.

"Little brother?" Paige questioned.

"Long story," said Phoebe. "Right now we need to get to Nostradamus. We have no way of knowing how much Talent heard when we were talking. If he knows about Nostradamus he might get to him first. That could ruin everything. If Nostradamus dies before we can get him to the past there's no way to reset the timeline."

"You know where he is?" Cole asked.

"Yes," said Prue. "He's at the Bay Area Psychiatric Institute. According to Andy they think he's crazy. He's been taken there for evaluation."

"That would make sense," said Cole. "If he claims to be from the past they probably think he's delusional. He would be committed to make sure he's not a danger to anyone."

"I thought you were a lawyer," said Phoebe. "How do you know so much about psychiatry."

"I don't," said Cole. "But I do know the law. And the law says that anyone who suffers from delusions or schizophrenia has to be evaluated to insure they aren't a danger to others."

"So," said Piper, "how do we get Nostradamus out of the nut ward?"

"It's hardly a nut ward," said Paige. "Most of the people there simply have some kind of emotional or mental problems."

"Sorry," said Piper. "I didn't mean anything by it. But we still have to figure a way to get him out of there."

"Leo just orbs in and gets him out," said Prue. "That orbing really seems to come in handy."

"Yeah, it does," said Paige. "But orbing in and snatching this Nostradamus isn't really a good idea."

"Why not?" asked Piper. "Leo can get in and get out before they even know he's there."

"Yes," said Paige, "and as soon as they discover that Nostradamus is missing how long do you think it will be before they figure out who took him? When that happens there's no telling what they'll do."

"They'll just start looking for them," said Cole. "Only they won't be able to find them. We'll have them in the underworld where the mortal authorities can't get to them."

"And what about the thousands of witches in the internment camps?" Paige asked. "You all know about the Charmed Ones prophecies. When they discover that they've escaped and broken Nostradamus out they'll consider it a worse case scenario. They won't want to risk that they'll try to break witches out of the internment camps and start the final war between humanity and witches."

"If that happens," said Leo, "they'll just eliminate the problem. They'll start executing witches by the hundreds. And without their powers the witches won't be able to defend themselves. They'll be slaughtered."

"And they'll start with our mother," said Paige. "They believe she's the start of all this. They've only kept her alive this long because she's been useful to them. If you break Nostradamus out of the hospital they'll probably decide the risk isn't worth it any longer. They'll kill her without a second thought."

"We need to get mom out before we try anything," said Prue. "Leo, you need to go back to the Elders and get them off their asses. They need to find out where mom is ad I mean right away."

"I'll see what I can do," said Leo. "But they're all ready doing everything they can. I'm not sure what else they can do."

"Just do it," said Prue. "In the mean time we'll try to figure out some way to get Nostradamus out of the hospital without raising suspicion."

"We need to find some place else to hide," said Phoebe. "Cole is right. Now that Talent knows about this place he's sure to come back with more demons to stop us."

"I might just have a place where you can hide," said Cole. "It may not be the most comfortable place in the world but you should be safe there. At least for a while."

"Lead on," said Piper. "Any place is better than here right now."

As Leo orbed to the Elders, Cole and Baldasor shimmered the girls out of the cabin.