Here we go again......or a new start?

[monstervsangels]

Piper and Leo finished dancing they sat in the family booth, where Prue sat smiling at Paige and her mystery date.

'Hey there Leo, Agent Houten was just telling us about who I really was. Considering Prue's been dead this long, trying to get him not too be so nosey.'

Leo was shocked that Prue would be so open,

'How did you know I was an agent? Thought I'd covered my tracks pretty well.'

Agent Houten smiled and held up his hands, knowing he had been caught red handed even with all his training he'd not once been caught out till now.

Henry saw them talking and didn't want to get questioned just yet by Houten, he had to get Paige and him set up for tackling what was too come without exposing any of them.

There was a more pressing matter with Phoebe going off on one about her new power, he knew she would use it for good. Ever since she remembered the last time she had it, she didnt want it no matter who told her she would use it for good.

He had set her up a nice young man after the big bad had been dealt with, shame they had killed off Billie but Billie never did know when too keep her mouth shut. No real loss he thought, they didn't need her anyway, just a shame it was them and not the demon that had got her.

Sharma could've helped by not being blown up by the source, it was her own fault for going against his orders.

Talking with Leo and Alex, they agreed that putting them in an alternate reality too help Phoebe was the best way to go, but not till after the party.

Phoebe and Victor walked out of the back office, Phoebe a lot calmer than when she had gone in. Walking over to the others, they were introduced to Agent Houten who was quite pale as they were explaining what had happened to Prue.

'Oh great party with the guest of honour sitting in a booth away from everything.' Phoebe smiled at her sisters as she pulled Paige into the main room.

The others followed as a new band took the stage, playing Paige's favourite song, Agent Houten coming to his senses took Paige for a dance while the others took respective partners and danced.

Alex looked at Prue but side stepped too allow Victor the last dance with his eldest, he didn't want to step into a family that could soon end up in spirit.

Walking over to the bar, Alex and Henry smiled at the others dancing.

'Nice guy you pulled in to help the girls, he's taken with Paige which is a good thing. Beats the other nosey parkers they have had in the past.'

'Sure does, hey do you remember the last agent they had now she was a complete fruit loop. Oh and whats his name, Paige had the hots for him and shame he had to be put on the other side of the world.'

'Yeah well that was what the others decided no matter what we said to help the girls, as for Piper and Leo. He's one lucky whitelighter to have found that kind of love and marry her, shame they might die for the greater good.'

No one else noticed them talking as they never moved their lips, apart from drinking. The song came to an end and the shout for no more orders was given, everyone started heading out the door. Friends congratulated Paige once more on her new job and how much they would enjoy working with her again.

Finally they were alone, 'Right we can leave this lot till the morning, so we can all go home and have a good nights sleep. Prue you going back up or you coming home with us?'

Looking at her sisters and not having decided what she wanted to do, Paige took the decision out of her hands and invited her back she wanted too get to know Prue.

Since she was used to late nights and tomorrow was the weekend, there shouldn't be any problems. Agent Houten had stayed quiet, then asked if he could find out more about what they did.

'It's ok Agent Houten, take tonight to absorb what you've learnt and come and see us in the morning.'

Phoebe was on edge and didn't want any new surprises, as he was about to push the point Victor took him gently under the elbow.

'It's ok Agent Houten, you'll get all the help you need in the morning. Till then really take the night to think about it all and come back, what do we call you since we can't keep calling you Agent Houten.'

As they got to the door, Agent Houten turned and smiled 'You know Victor no one knows my real name all I put down is AH. My parents had been expecting a girl, and I got plumbed with it so use the A from agent instead.'

Smiling Victor bid him good night and watched him leave in his car, as the others came up the stairs. Prue and Paige orbed back to the manor, while Leo and Piper orbed too their romantic spot.

Alex and Henry grabbed Victor and orbed him to the manor as well, laughing when they all landed safely.

'Hey first orb dad well done!!' the girls watched his face as he landed as he wasnt too sure of it.

'I prefer normal transport next time, if you don't mind.'

'Come on Victor, you enjoyed it and its quicker.' Alex grinned at the memory of when Victor had found out Leo was a whitelighter.

Victor grinned in agreement, he had enjoyed it immensly and would love to do it again. He just wasn't going to admit it just yet.

Prue and Paige walked in holding the family albums, the others groaned as they saw the smiles.

'You didn't show me these when we first met, how could you not show me how cute you three were?'

Paige grinned as she held up a picture of Phoebe and Piper in nappies on the back yard water slide, with that one picture a whole family history came out.

Victor thought it might upset Paige to know her family with out her being a part of it, looking at Victor Paige smiled.

'I had my own family and have my own memories, this just makes being a part of you easier. It's all a part of my history as well, and to know what you were all like growing up makes me feel more a part of it.'

Prue hugged Paige as she brought a picture of Prue with braces, and Andy standing awkwardly next to her.

Looking at his watch Victor said it was time he was going, instead the girls told him he was sleeping in the attic. They had cleaned up and organised a bed for him, just for the night.

As he walked up, he felt funny and decided a lie down would do him good..........

[monstervsangels]

Paige followed Victor up to the attic, "Hey dad, you feeling ok?"

"No, for some reason I feel so tired as though I'd done a full day hike across the mid west. I'll be fine after a sleep, dont let the others know."

Patting her hand, Victor sat on the bed and instantly fell asleep. Paige grabbed him and lay him on the bed properly, after pulling the quilt over him she grabbed the crystals and put them around the bed.

She knew some thing was wrong and didnt want anything happening to him while he was asleep, let alone feeling ill.

Placing the last crystal, "Hello Paige."

"MUM!?"

Turning around she flew into her mothers arms as soon as she turned solid. "Come downstairs we have so much to tell."

"I can't dear, I'm here to look after Victor. He's fine he just ate something he shouldnt have, everything will be fine. Go downstairs with the others, Grams is down there and she has more to tell you."

Paige looked disconcerted that her mother would not want to come down and see all of them at once. Instead she hugged her mother and did as she was told, downstairs Grams was in full flow of a family story that had them all laughing.

"Hi Paige, hows Victor I heard he went to bed early unlike him. Is Patty with him?"

"Yeah she is, she sounds and looks distracted, whats going on?"

Everyone stopped laughing and looked at Paiges concerned face.

"What's wrong Paige?" Prue orbed to the attic, finding Patty and Victor gone.

"PHOEBE!!!!!" Prue orbed back into the lounge and grabbed her sister.

"Whats wrong? What happened up there?"

"I dont know but Victor and Patty have gone."

Everyone started talking at once, "ENOUGH!!!"

Grams held up her hands and smiled, "How can you smile Grams?" Piper was near to tears.

"It's as it should be, Victor was never any good with demons. Well he's a mortal what do you..."

"Ok Grams, what have you and mum done with dad?"

Prue put on her most serious face and looked hard at her. Knowing full well she had been caught out, Grams smiled and sat down comfortably.

"Ok, we put him in a safe place with the children."

"You took the children out of here with out telling me?" Piper didnt know whether to be frightened, angry or upset. But all three seemed to be right for what she was hearing.

[skaterkate]

wow this is really really good. Please write more

[dohertyx2]

I agree witch skaterkate!!!Write more ,i cant wait!!

[monstervsangels]

"Okay Grams, this is meant to be a new start, we havent been dealing with demons for months and now this."

"Piper it's ok." Grams smiled warmly.

"No, it's not OK Grams. This is just another DESTINY, full of crap thing that just wont end. Every time we think we have filled our destinies something else comes up, so instead of waiting for the Elders to send us someone or something I'm going to go demon hunting."

Prue looked concerned she knew that Piper would go out on her own and get killed, putting her hand on Piper she drew her into her arms.

"Piper you cant go out alone and there is a plan, we.."

"WE? What WE Prue?"

Everyone looked down at their feet, Grams looked uneasily at Leo who was looking concerned as he knew that Piper wasnt going to be stopped with a few nice words.

Taking her hand he lead her to the couch, "Piper, you know I'd rather be finished with all the demon hunting as well. There.."

"Oh no Leo, I dont want the nice words I want to know who, what, where and when. Then I will go out and destroy the demon and end our destiny once and for all."

"It's not that simple."

"What do you mean not that simple, of course it's simple."

Grams sat down beside her, "No dear, Leo's right it's not as simple as you going out and killing a demon. This will be bigger than Zankou, put Cole, Zankou and the demon of fear together and thats what you have against you. ALL of you."

"You mean we'll have to make a potion and spells that will kill all three parts at once? Easy!"

Piper got up to go into the kitchen when her mother appeared before her.

"No Piper, it will be much harder than that. You will not only need the power of three, but you will need to tap into Wyatt and Chris's powers from the future."

With that the men appeared, "Hey mum, Hey dad. I see you've told them."

The Charmed ones rushed to hug them tightly, always glad to see them even if it was to help them out with the latest big bad.

"This time you guys get to have a normal life once we have vanquished this demon."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked Chris, he was her favourite as they had a special connection from when he was little.

"What my brother is trying to say is, if you survive this battle then you get to either give up your powers and have a demon free life; or keep them and retire with other witches taking over."

The women couldnt believe what they were hearing, all of them looked at Prue who was smiling.

"You knew this?" Paige looked dumbfounded.

"Yes I did, we didnt want to tell you till tomorrow. Tonight was going to be for celebrations, but there has been a surge in powers for you and the demons are speeding up their preparations for the battle."

"Hang on, you mean we'll be fighting not only this new mega demon but others as well?" Paige sat down quickly before she fell down.

In the under world a battle was raging about who would take over the underworld, when a fire ball flew through the tunnels. Everyone stopped and looked, he looked human, but his eyes were deeper than the fires of hell.

All dropped to their knees, he came slowly down the tunnel. "What is this battle you wage against each other? We have bigger things to do than waste time and energy on killing each other. The Charmed Ones."

With those words a roar went up, of hate for the Charmed Ones for all their dead friends who had fought them before and lost.

"Who are you to speak like this?" Orthel was the only one standing, he didnt want competition for the leader of the underworld. He saw it as his by right of killing innocents and witches, instead here was someone who was just another demon to be got rid of.

"Forget it Orthel, you will not defeat me. I'm a new breed of demon, one the great master has made just for this occasion."

"How do you know my name?" Orthel raised his hand, instead of anything coming out his arm disintergrated.

Screaming in pain, "Who are you?" Orthel sat down holding his upper arm.

"I am the scourge of the Charmed Ones, once and for all they will disappear and be just another memory for us to triumph over. Tomorrow we prepare for a battle that even the Charmed Ones can not come out alive."

Another roar of approval went up, as everyone rushed to find out what else he had to say Orthel went in search of their great master. Walking towards the main cave he felt himself being dragged upwards, the next thing he knew he was before a warlock who was smiling at him.

He was dressed in colourful clothes, yet his features were twisted and pock marked. His eyes were sunk into his skull, his hands twisted out of shape while his breathe was ranker than a sewer that had over flown.

"Who I am is unimportant, but you are not to fight in this battle. You have disobeyed the great master once too often, given rise to one too many fights with in the underworld. Your self preservation is your undoing."

"BUT wait, if I hadnt preserved myself you wouldnt have had all the information I brought to you. You wouldn't..."

His voice trailed off as he felt the floor open up beneath him, his voice box was ripped out of his throat and he screamed silently as he fell into the flames.

Agent Houten transformed back into his human form, smiling he orbed back upto the Elders. He knew he was breaking a few more rules, but he knew that if Orthel had lived then the Charmed Ones would be dead even after killing the new super demon.

His elders wouldnt be amused with the balance being swung in their favour, there would be others who would agree with the balance being restored a little bit more in favour of good. Walking into the meeting his face dropped, Orthel stood before him smiling as he came forward.

"Paul you should really watch who you try and kill off, I'm allowed to play double agent. You see I am the balance of power, either side kills me I come back and redress the imbalance once more. Tempest is not meant to be on the demons side, so I was made to redress any imbalances. Playing the demon helped me to see where any imbalances lay, and I was just coming back when you way laid me. Please sit down, it was an honest mistake you are quiet safe from being punished. In fact with out what you did I'd never have got a lovely piece of information that I'm about to impart."

With that Paul sat down, shocked with what he was seeing. If he hadn't been told about the balance, then he knew that Leo and the others hadnt been told. Trying to get his head around this new concept he missed what was being said.

"Oh dear you have missed what was just said, you must concentrate. No good trying to figure out who knew about me and who didnt, or who should've been told and when. You'll be filled in, now I must really get changed and go see the girls. They do need all the help they can get, even with their grown sons they will have a hard job of winning. See you all after the battle, and dont get upset Paul all will be revealed in battle."

With that he orbed down to the manor, cloaking himself he watched the chaos as they argued about how they were going to defeat the new demon. Smiling to himself he asked Leo how it was going, Leo looked around he knew the voice. The others looked at him, they knew he'd heard something.

"What is it Leo?"

"It's a voice I haven't heard since Prue died, and even then it was a blast from the past."

"What do you mean from when I died?" Prue looked puzzeled

"He means me, the one who balances things out. You died so I had to balance things out with Paige in the picture. Paige you are such hard work when you started, thankfully you learnt quickly; many thanks to Piper and Phoebe for helping on that score. Now down to bigger things, this new demon."

"OKAY, first of all who are you, what are you doing here and how do you know all this?" Phoebe touched his cloak and sat down quickly, the information was fast and deep.

"Someone get her some water, she got too much information for her to process at once."

"As she said who are you?" Piper stepped up ready to freeze him.

"It's ok Piper, he's balance."

"Balance? We dont need balance, its always been Balanced between good and evil. If one side gets the upper hand, the other side kills off a few."

"Paige not quite, both sides need a helping hand at times. You see when you kill a demon a witch dies, and vice versa; so all things are always in balance no side has the upper hand."

"So in fact all we have done over the years has been for nothing, we have wasted all those years fighting demons for nothing?" Piper was angry at what she was hearing.

"No dear, it was never for nothing. Evil never got the upper hand for longer than was necessary for us to learn something, even if it did take some of us longer than it should've."

"True, but now no time for any more explainations." glancing around the room he smiled at those assembled in front of him.

"Glad to see the boys here, but you need one more person. Prue sorry but we had to drag Andy into this as well, he's quite good with the whole magic routine now. He wont be needed until it's absolutly necessary, but right now I have some information for you to use."

With that he began to tell them all he had heard and seen as a demon.

[dohertyx2]

=) greeeaate

[monstervsangels]

In the underworld the demons faced the new demon, "Who are you? Why does the source need to make new demons, when he has us?"

"Because you have had a decade to kill the Charmed Ones, in that time only Prue died. Then when they were at their weakest, you all failed AGAIN!!"

"It's not our fault every leader we've had has been totally useless. We have had so many great opportunities, every suggestion of how to kill them has been thrown away."

Orthel walked out of the shadows again,

"Come back for more?"

"Dont even try it, or the Source will wonder why you have killed off his right hand man. Not one to run like a little girl, but it does help when he wants the Charmed Ones dead by the morning."

The other demons stepped back, they knew Orthel had disappeared but didnt know he had been with the Source. Some saw him as a threat, but the new demon smirked and threw a fire ball at a demon beside Orthel.

"Should be careful who you stand next to, or I wont be there to save your sorry butt."

Orthel smiled and shimmered out of the cave, leaving the demons to wonder what was really going on between the two demons.

Prue sighed, as Andy swirled into the room hiding her worry they embraced.

"Long time no see Andy." Phoebe hugged him tightly, followed by Piper.

"You must be Paige, I've heard all about you." Andy shook her hand, as she was in two minds as to how to greet him.

"I've heard alot about you too Andy, never thought I'd get to meet you. Should know better being half witch, half whitelighter that anything is possible."

[ferociouskitty]

this really is a great an extremely creative story but im not understanding the part where prue said grandad fro the third time now can u please get back 2 this part of the story soon i want 2 c wat turned out as prues children but fantastic work so far please keep posting