Thanks for the feedback. I hope you enjoy.
Its not over yet, I have several plot lines to wrap up. This chapter is mainly to look at the sisters from their men's point of view. To explain why Leo, Cole and now Matt would want to stay with women who are far more powerful, dangerous to be around and anything but boring.
Back at the Manor
As everyone arrived back at the Manor, the euphoria of surviving another battle energised all seven as each started to unwind in their own fashion. Leo, Cole and Matt retreated to the sitting room to share a beer and talk while the laughing sister's disappeared upstairs to change out of their stained, smokey clothing and shower.
Matt watched a cheerful and energetic Prue race Phoebe up the stairs, followed closely by Piper. A "Hey, that's cheating" came down stairs from Piper as she discovered that Paige had orbed into the upstairs bathroom ahead of all three of her sisters. As he settled back into his chair, he turned to see both Leo and Cole, both looking at him with an amused expression.
"Something special, aren't they" said Cole, "so dangerous, so beautiful and still so soft. Its what I love about Phoebe". Leo simply nodded in agreement and asked "What do you see Matt?".
Matt replied "Like what Cole said, beautiful but with a core of stainless steel, strong and flexible with a determination to succeed. I have never met anyone like Prue ever and I admit, it scares me. And then there is the magic, they have so much power!".
"Prue has told you about the destiny that came with the power?" asked Leo. "Yes, although it seems rather rough given what their life is like" replied Matt, who was beginning to wonder how long he could cope with this lifestyle.
"Its not always like this, its not a constant fight against demons, its just you have arrived in the middle of one of the big ones. Most of the time, we have what you would call a normal life, jobs etc. Times like these are tense but there are rewards as well. Thats something you and Prue will find out for yourselves" a reflective Leo finished as he considered his and Piper's past and possible future.
"We have dealt with the demons that attacked the coven, I don't think any trouble will come their way for some time. Certainly nothing they can't deal with. But the Wolfen and the Source are another matter. Both are still out there and both are dangerous.
The Source said that he was going to deal with the Triad, that won't be easy, so that should keep him busy for a little while".
"Which reminds me" said Cole, "his two companions, you need to know about them".
All three were distracted as Phoebe came running down the stairs wearing a long pink dressing gown and carrying several large towels. Flashing a big grin at Cole, she paused long enough to make the invitation obvious, before disappearing into the downstairs bathroom. A "Damn-it" came from Piper who was looking down from the top of the stairs.
Cole grinned and stretched, "Excuse me" he said as he got to his feet and headed for the bathroom to join Phoebe. Seeing that Piper was now looking at him, Leo put his beer to one side and with a speculative look at Matt, got up and headed up the stairs to join his wife. A loud "Paige, you have 10 minutes, then I blow the door off its hinges" could be heard from Piper.
Matt was also debating what he should do next however Prue bet him to it. Coming down the stairs in sweat pants and a cotton top and carrying two large towels, she joined Matt on the sofa. Sitting on half on his lap, she carefully looked into his face as she tried to work out what he was thinking. "Phoebe and Cole will only have long enough to shower, that I promise or I will turn the hot water valve off. Then its our turn".
"So what do you think?" Prue asked in a more serious tone, "After all that has happened, do you still want to marry a witch?". Matt looked into Prue's eyes and he recognised the look of uncertainty from several nights before when he had proposed.
"Its not all demons and battles, most of the time I can promise you a normal life, just now we have no choice, the Wolfen and the Source have to be stopped."
"I understand" replied Matt, "Cole, Leo and your sisters have all told me the same thing".
"I have been thinking about this a lot. And going with you to attack those demons helped me make my mind up. Stay, marry a powerful witch, have demons, magic, the probability of getting hurt at any time as part of my life. Or leave, lose you, live a normal life, with no demons, battles or magic".
"I was raised by parents who believe in protecting people and they made sure that I grew up to believe it to. I still do. Now I find you are even more dedicated in your own way". Matt reached up to brush Prue's hair back from the front of her face and gently stroked her cheek. "No choice at all really, and yes I still want to marry you, with all my heart, magic, demons and all".
Prue smile became radiant, something which bought a lump to Matt's throat as he considered his next sentence.
After a long pause, Matt took a deep breath and said "I just want three promises from you. and the first two are not negotiable".
"The first is when it comes to demons or magic, especially when you could be in danger. Please no hiding it from me, no lies. If I am to be part of your life then it must be 100 percent". Prue paused for several seconds as she examined the serious and determined look on Matt's face and her smile faded as she remembered a similar promise each sister had made after a demon made them turn on each other. With a somber look on her face she said "Agreed, and the second promise?".
Matt took a deep breath and in a strong voice said "When we get married, part of the vow I want us to say will be 'for better or for worse, for now and forever'. I know now that I can't always go with you on all your battles. Thats because you will need to protect me and that will make it more dangerous for you. Thats OK, I can accept that. But if there is a time when you have to fight a battle that you know you probably can't win, then I am coming with you. For now and forever Prue".
A suddenly shaky Prue found her emotions taking control as once again a tear started to fall down her cheek. As Matt reached across to kiss it from her cheek, she again said "Agreed".
"And the third?".
"My parents want to meet you and they have invited us to dinner tomorrow night. My fathers parents will be there also. Will you come?" asked Matt, in a quiet voice. A relieved Prue who had been expecting something more extreme, given the first two promises, simply replied with relief "Yes, I would love too".
Holding her close, Matt found himself breathing in a sharp sooty and sweaty perfume from her hair. Strangely exciting and almost erotic. As Prue kissed him with increasing passion, he returned her embrace with equal enthusiasm.
"OK, if you two want some privacy, then you might want to go upstairs" said a grinning Phoebe who was wrapping a towel around her wet and dripping hair. Another large towel covered most of the rest of her. An equally wet and grinning Cole was now wearing Phoebe's dressing gown and carrying his clothes.
As Cole pulled Phoebe towards the stairs, a blushing Prue pulled Matt to his feet and towards the shower.
An hour later, a relaxed and happy group started to assemble in the Dining room for dinner. Piper and Paige with Leo's help had done themselves proud as a simple but hot and spicy meal satisfied everyone's hunger. Dessert and afters were washed down with wine or beer and for Paige, an apple cider.
Stories about what had happened such as Prue's upending of four gang members, then hog tying and dangling them from the ceiling, helped the family relax as the laughter spread. Paige's imitation of Zola's reaction to Piper's threat to turn her into a toad, caused more laughter. And so did Piper's reminding everyone of the look on Cole's face when Prue kissed him.
It was Prue who provided the greatest merriment as she demonstrated her latest improvement to her Telekinesis power. Glenda's use of her power as a bladed weapon had intrigued Prue who after some quick experimentation, had duplicated it.
With a grin, she used her ability to slice the chocolate cake Piper had made for dessert. With gentle movements of her fingers, she sent her magic to separate the cake into roughly even slices. Only to have everyone burst into laughter as Paige reached over to pick up the cutting board and pass it around. They discovered that not only the cake had been neatly cut into segments but also the cutting board the cake had been sitting on.
"OK so it needs some refinement" was Prue's only comment as Piper's deliberately overdone mournful look, started everyone giggling as she examined the ruined cutting board.
Phoebe had some news of her own. "Something is happening to my powers as well, I keep getting flashes of emotions from those around me, always intense. Susie's nightmares were the latest and I found I could channel some of those demons powers". Turning to look at Leo, "Does this mean I am finally getting a new power?".
A thoughtful looking Leo could only say "Could be, there are several possibilities that could explain what is happening. An Empathy power is the most likely or maybe a Projection power". Seeing Matt's puzzled look, Leo explained "Empathy would allow Phoebe to experience another person's emotions which would explain why she can channel other demons powers. Projection allows the user to project their will on other people or objects". Turning back to look at Phoebe "It does look as if your power is advancing".
"Yes, and its looks like its going to be an active one" said an excited Phoebe. Swapping high fives with her sisters, Phoebe celebrated what she had been wanting and waiting for ever since she had first used the ability a year ago in the fight against the Source. Cole hugged her with pride as he looked at a grinning Phoebe.
"The Source's two companions, Cole you said that we would need to know about them" asked Leo. "They are both bad news, especially the woman. The cleric is the chief priest of the Dark Grimoire, the one who anoints the new Source and is the keeper of the Dark Grimoire" replied Cole. "The Dark Grimoire?" asked Matt.
"The Source's version of the Book of Shadows. It contains the most powerful dark spells, such as the one used to anoint every new Source. If the Priesthood are now backing the Source, then he has gained a powerful ally.
But the woman concerns me more as she is extremely dangerous. She is only known as the Seer and has served many Sources for longer than anyone can remember". With an apologetic look at Phoebe, Cole continued "Her ability to see the future is unrivaled and she is a powerful magic user. The Source has gained an ally that will make him almost impossible to surprise".
Prue added "That means after he has dealt with the Triad, he is going to come after us. Well we knew this was going to happen soon enough, at least we know now and thats more warning than I thought we would get". Matt reached sideways to hold her left hand and squeeze it gently.
Leo nodded and added "At least you are more ready now and the Triad will no longer be a problem. And you have gained so much since the last time you fought. All of you have gained a much greater control of your powers over the last year. Thats going to make it far more difficult for him"
Paige spoke up "I have been thinking about that, I am going to resign my job. I still have so much to learn to catch up with you three. That last fight with the Wolfen and then the demons made me realise just how much I still have to learn". Phoebe reached across to hold her hand and said "I'mm so sorry, we all know how much your job means to you, but I think you are right, we will all have to stay close to each other, we can't risk the Source catching one of us alone".
"Well what else do we have to worry about?" asked Piper.
Cole sighed deeply to get everyone's attention and said "Well you did ask. I think there is a traitor out there, someone who is probably working for the Triad and while it might be Susie, I think its probably the hunter called Harry". Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the object that he had found in the cavern and threw it on to the table. As the silver bullet rolled across the table, all of them recognised its significance.
Cole continued "Susie made it plain that the hunters had automatic weapons loaded with silver bullets but her weapon failed when the Wolfen attacked. Apparently none of the weapons worked as the only bullets fired came from an old weapon not loaded with silver. One weapon failing could be an accident but all of them had to mean sabotage. Susie said that all the hunters had these weapons but none were found by the police".
"Also there is the disappearance of the materials from their base, I think the demons you just vanquished took those as I found that bullet in the cavern. If they took the materials, then they took the weapons and probably the missing hunter as well. He could be in league with the Triad as he was the only one who had time to collect the guns after the Wolfen left and the police arrived".
"When I questioned Susie, she did say he was an armorer, responsible for maintaining their weapons and he was on duty that night, He was the only one to survive unhurt and there is no sign of his body".
"I doubt he is still alive, the Triad are not known for leaving loose ends around, ever".
All present could hear the hate in Cole's voice. And Matt remembered that Cole had been sent by the Triad to kill the Charmed Ones. And when he fell in love with Phoebe, they had tried to kill him.
As Paige found herself yawning, Prue laughed. "Its late and I think we all need our beauty sleep. I don't want to face the Source if all I can do is yawn". Quiet smiles appeared around the table as they considered the immediate future. "Besides, Matt is taking me to meet his parents tomorrow and the last thing I want to do is fall asleep in the middle of their dinner" Prue continued.
Matt changed the subject as discussing his parents would result in the opening of some old wounds and this he wanted to avoid, "Why haven't you attacked the Source like you did to those Rat demons?. Doesn't waiting for him to choose the time and place give him too great an advantage?".
Leo replied "He's too powerful and he has always been able to cloak himself so that not even Paige can find him. Also if we attack him in the Underworld, he will have a priceless 'home' advantage. At least here, in the Manor, we are in our home, that gives us the advantage".
While Piper, Leo and Prue quickly stacked the dishwasher, Phoebe, Cole and Paige cleared the table. Matt just sat and watched as he found himself the odd man out. With a rye smile, he realised that while he had earned a place when they had to fight, he still was not part of their domestic arrangements. That would take a bit longer.
By now all of them found themselves becoming increasingly tired as the events of a very long day, and a good meal, rapidly started to catch up with them. All four sisters, three of them with their men, headed for bed. Prue was not going to separate herself from her sisters by returning to Matt's apartment. As a result, Matt was staying with her as he had no intention of leaving his fiancee to face a fight without him.
