Hi so here is another chapter, I hope you enjoy this one and I will do my best to bring you the next one sooner rather than later. There are only nine more chapters left of this story but there are more Charmed stories coming so please stay tuned.

And I want to thank you all for your patience in waiting for this chapter, there has been a lot of personal issues going on recently, hopefully they have now been resolved.

I predict two more chapters left of the Season 6 arc.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine just this story.

Please Read and Review .

And thank you all for sticking with this story through the hard times, I appreciate that I have been a bit absent recently but rest assured I am back and so is this story.

And this is the penultimate chapter of Season 6.

Mother Of Invention

Chapter 21-Fine Is A Four Letter Word

Gideon makes his move, Billie ends up stuck in hell, Paige fights to be reunited with her family, Piper goes into labour, Chris is mortally wounded and a special someone comes to help. Part One of a Two part chapter and Part One of the finale of Season 6.

It was Gideon.

The man that was turning Wyatt evil was Gideon?

It didn't commute in Billie's brain even as he stalked towards her. She was not even sure what had happened. One moment he had been in the attic with her and Wyatt. Her Mom was gone, her Aunt in labour, Aunt Phoebe and Chris and Leo nowhere to be seen and he had been the one who was supposed to be keeping her safe and then as she had been going through the book Wyatt on her hip he had turned to her and said in that light airy tone that he used.

"I am sorry Billie…but you see…for the greater good, you two are the threat."

She'd had barely enough time to open her mouth before he had thrown the first fireball at her which had taken a second longer for her to get her brain around because since when did Demons have fireballs?

Instinct took over and she shimmer out and then shimmer back. Wyatt was still on her hip looking bemused and of course he would! Because Wyatt trusted his Daddy and Daddy like Momma and Auntie Paige and Auntie Phoebe had trusted Gideon like he was one of the family.

And that made her mad.

"Why?" she asked moving round the book.

He took another step forwards and she dropped Wyatt to the floor behind her.

"Because my dear girl you and that boy are an abomination, the Elders were misguided in allowing Wyatt to exist. It was a nice experimentation to be sure, but it's proof that the lines between witches and whitelighters shouldn't have been created. And you…had I know of the abomination that was you I would have personally took care of you in your crib. Demons and witches should never have children. People think, my fellow Elders think that because you are the Charmed Ones you get a certain amount of leeway Prue and the mortal, your mother and the demon, Phoebe and the demon turned mortal. Piper and Leo…your own grandmother and that whitelighter who betrayed his oath to be with her. We take our vows seriously Billie. And so…you and that boy must pay the price for others mistakes. It's a harsh lesson perhaps but now with everyone out the way I can finally set the world right"

And still she couldn't understand what was happening. She opened her mouth and then…

Gideon stopped. He stopped and turned and looked at the attic door and Billie peered round him to see who was stood there.

She had never been happier to see her father standing there in her entire life and looking at him for the first time she could understand why everyone called Zankou, the original demon, the demon that should be feared because the look on her father's face was more terrifying than anything she had ever seen before—and considering the last three years Billie had seen quite a lot.

Her father wasn't angry, he didn't look like he was about to go into battle, he was leaning against the door his hands folded over his chest and he was smiling. But his smile was one full of deep evil, it was the smile that one gave when one knew they were in complete control and it was a smile full of dark amusement and for reasons beyond her belief she thought that her father was amused that the Elder they had all trusted for months was trying to kill them…well…her specifically.

"You know" her father drawled in what could only be a frightening tone. "I was hoping that it would be you"

And it was like a warning shot to a bull.

Gideon moved forwards and the spell came at her father so fast that Billie thought he must crumple with the sheer force of it but her father pushed himself off the door and blasted it backwards where it shattered half the ceiling. Billie dropped to cover Wyatt who at last seemed to realise that they were in some danger and he covered them with his force filed. She turned and she stood up moving her hand and the crystals shot out protecting her and Wyatt in a circle. She didn't know how effective it would be but she knew that right now it was all that she had. She waved her hand and the book flew across the room into the circle too. Billie had learnt a long time ago with that book it was better to be safe than sorry. She didn't want to think about the big boobs incident, she was pretty sure at this point it was scared into her mother's brain.

Zankou with a sort of manic grin sent a wave of fire at Gideon who orbed out and orbed in again, seconds later the wave of fire was replaced with a blast of something so powerful it made the hairs on her neck stand up and she dropped to the ground covering Wyatt even though he was quite safe. There was the sound of running footsteps and then Chris was in the room. Clearly wherever her Mom and Aunt Phoebe and Cole had been sent he had not been sent with them. He skidded into the room looked around and Zankou shattered what felt like every window in the street. Glass appeared out of nowhere and Billie kicked aside a crystal for Chris to duck into the sanctuary but as he crossed the room there was a movement from Gideon and the glass her father had been slowly rising flew straight into his stomach.

Chris crumpled on the ground just as Leo came crashing into the room. Billie wasn't sure if she would forget the sound he made as he saw what was going on but she was clutching both Wyatt and the book to her chest and she didn't know how to let either one of them go.

Zankou threw the glass at Gideon who turned it into dust and let it fall to the ground. For a moment they were all stunned and then Zankou let out a laugh, a sigh and then he threw a fireball. It caught Gideon on the arm before he managed to orb out and she saw a good chunk of flesh appear where he had been and she had to look away.

"He'll be back" was all Zankou said. "He's got his eyes set on my daughter and your son. Paige was right. I should have had more faith. Billie kick that crystal out I need to get you safe. I'll take the boy too your gonna have your hands full with that one"

"Billie don't!" Leo shouted suddenly. "I don't…I don't believe it's Gideon—"

"It's Gideon Leo" she said flatly. "He just tried to kill me for being an abomination. It's always been Gideon."

And with that she kicked the crystal out.

"Balthazar and Paige both know where to find me" Zankou said lazily. Billie felt him grab her arm and then before she could do anything she Wyatt, Zankou and the Book of Shadows disappeared from this mortal plane."

His landing was particularly ungraceful which was annoying but considering he was carrying passengers he thought he'd pulled it off rather well. Billie put the baby down in the corner and the Book on a rock.

"Your bleeding"

"It's nothing"

"Where—where is Mom?"

"Gideon sent her, Phoebe and Balthazar through a portal to an alternate world, my understanding is her pregnant sister is in labour"

"And Chris"

"Probably dead"

She whimpered and he looked at her and sighed. Damn…he had forgotten how to unblunt his words. He was used to barking out orders and seeing shit get done. Not used to kind words and terrified teenager. Nobody had ever accused a demon of being catchy, catchy softly monkey or whatever that fucking saying was.

"He's from the future. He was going to have to be sent back. It doesn't affect the baby being born. Chris will just die in the future—that being said he does save it so maybe he won't. I don't know…future time travel is such a headache, can't be bothered with it"

He pulled off his jacket and winced.

"You didn't kill Gideon"

"No, could have done but the room was getting too crowded. Besides…I was worried about you, you handled yourself well considering what he was. I know he was a friend. Or a guide or…something"

She sat down on the rock and breathed in and out and then she leaned her head on his shoulder. It was nice Zankou thought to himself. Nice to be this close to another person and he slipped an arm round her back. Suddenly he was assaulted by the memories of his son and he bit his bottom lip and massaged the flesh between his teeth to hide the pain. He didn't like thinking of his son, especially not with his daughter covered in dust and so close to death by another powerful man who thought he could rule the universe simply because had a power.

Gideon…a fucking Elder to boot.

It would make him laugh if he was anything other than furious right now.

"You okay…Dad?"

He turned to look at her. The moniker was new, something more fitting to this time but it made him pause. He was not used to this. He had forgotten about this.

How had he ever forgotten about this?

"How do we get Mom out of this realm?"

"I don't know. Right now I don't want to go up there. I don't know if Gideon is working alone."

Billie sat there thinking about it and sighed. "He might be working with more of them. A lot of Elders didn't know about me and now they do, a lot of them didn't like the idea of Wyatt. I don't get why…Mom kind of defeated the idea that a whitelighter and a witch can have a child. It was good enough for them when it kept the Power of Three going—"

Zankou laughed. He couldn't help himself even as he bandaged up his arm. Even the baby was watching him though he was not watching the baby unless he could help it. He was already raw running down the memory lane.

"Course it was" he said looking into those big eyes and wondering how on Earth a child of his could look so innocent and so surprised.

"The Elders need the Charmed Ones. Paige was a means to an end. You were added bonus. The second Prue Halliwell died they were looking for a way to balance the scales. You won't understand it unless you were there. I don't understand it and I wasn't there. But the Elders as the master manipulators of the world order. I don't know whether there will ever be a better power that will come along and upset them but God if there is…" he shook his head and then.

"How did you know where I was going to be?"

"Your Mom thought there was a good possibility it was him, Cole agreed and the rest of it was moot. I knew that the two of you were in his crosshairs and I knew that the two of you were a danger to the Elders or at least some of the hardliners. Wyatt even more so once they realised through Chris what he would turn into. I knew…when your Mom dropped off the radar this morning along with her sister I knew he had made his move and so I came to find you"

"To save me?"

"Yes" he said simply.

"Why?"

Why. Why. WHY?!

"What do you mean why?"

"I mean…I know your my Dad and all and I get that and I respect that but…but I mean…doesn't this put you in a lot of trouble with your lot? Helping the Charmed Ones?"

"If there was a Source yes, but there isn't so I am fine for the time being. Besides…nobody will dare come after the Charmed Ones once they know there is a fight with an Elder brewing. Believe me…to a semi intelligent demon you are the lesser of the two evils. And for your information I saved you because I have buried two children and I didn't intend to bury another. The boy was just…well…it would be nice to have the Charmed Ones owe me a favour."

"What happened? I mean…I know it was magic but…"

"I don't want to talk about it" he said sharply and she nodded looking away her eyes filling with tears and instantly he felt like a dick…no…a demon…God how did mere mortals do this parenting thing?

He came back across the rock and hugged her. She rested her head somewhere against his stomach and he hugged her back. He found deep down that he had missed this. He had missed this human interaction…he had missed being a father with an ache that he was surprised at…centuries of burying it deep within him and he had missed it.

"Nothing" he said into the mess of blonde hair. "Is going to get you while I am alive…and I am immortal so there is that"

She laughed wetly into the leather and he laughed back at her. The baby gurgled and then orbed what he thought was a human bone to him.

Bloody brats.

"I should go to Wyatt" she said pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Thank you for saving me Dad"

"You never have to say thank you for me being a parent Billie" he said softly. "I will always be there to save you"

It was the easiest vow (after the one he had given his dying wife that he would see the world they lived in cast to the ground in ashes and fire and blood) that he had ever made.

"I need to find Mom, we need to get to Aunt Piper, we need to protect—"

"I know…let me get my magic together and we can have a look at what we can do the two of us. Demon magic can cross realms in a way that good magic can't. We are safe here as well…they can sense that you are underground but they can't find you. Take care of the brat before he swallows something he shouldn't—"

"His name is Wyatt—"

"Aha…bed is over there put him to sleep will you?"

She nodded and turned and it was only when she wasn't looking that he looked at the Book of Shadows. The most magical of tomes. The book that was tied to the sisters, to their family line, to their emotions. The book that now tied to Billie in the same way that Billie was tied to him.

It wasn't about the book, he knew he had feelings for Paige, dark and light feelings, he knew he loved his daughter though he was a demon who shouldn't believe in love. But he was also curious.

And so he reached out and touched the book.

And the book let him.

Gently he flipped open the first page to see the date when the Halliwell line had been created, when the book had first been created. He ran a finger down the inscription and then when Billie straightened he shut the book.

He could touch the Book of Shadows.

Zankou's smile was he knew, just a tad too smug.

And there you go, I hope you enjoy. I will try and bring you the next chapter sooner rather than later.

Next Chapter-Part Two of the Two part handler and the last of Season 6. Paige, Cole and Phoebe are stuck in an utopian world and things are beginning to crack. It's going to take a whole lot of magic to get out of this one.